Your scribe was a long time judge of the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards for many years and always admires the impressive amount of work put in to determine their important annual culinary awards. We have posted several references about these important choices in earlier postings including the 2021 Instagram version during Covid on September 20, 2021 here. Also have a warm soft spot for them having presented to my talented wife Joan and yours truly their 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award noted here on April 24, 2017. The Michelin Guide arrived in Vancouver as reported here August 1, 2022 which changed the dining landscape endorsements but Van Mag still does an excellent job of spotlighting out the real industry winners. This year 2025 the ceremony held on May 5 at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver was notable for recognizing many worthy winners including especially Restaurant of the Year and Chef of the Year. Well done indeed!

ELISA – Restaurant of the Year.

So pleased to see this steakhouse “a powerhouse when it comes to quality and consistency” honoured this year. It is a much deserved tribute to the amazing Executive Chef Andrew Richardson and his brigade. Elisa is so much more than a steakhouse though with Joan’s fav dish being their delicious whole grilled branzino with cavolo nero. This award also is an unrecognized tribute to the Aquilini Group and their superb TopTable Restaurant Group with conscientious President Michael Doyle. They have put together a phenomenal group of restaurants each providing a unique highest quality dining experience also at Blue Water Cafe, CinCin, Thierry, Luigi & Sons, in Whistler Araxi Restaurant & The Cellar, il Caminetto and Bar Oso, plus Marilena in Victoria. Watch out for 2026 their newest venture of a brand new restaurant in the old space at 1133 Hamilton in Yaletown previously occupied by Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill. Elisa also received Best Yaletown from Readers’ Choice Winners posted here. So well done indeed! Congrats.

ANGUS AN: CHEF OF THE YEAR

So pumped to learn that friend and dedicated chef Angus An won this coveted award. He has been a dynamic force in the local dining scene for so long but contributing in so many other ways including outstanding help with the thriving Chefs’ Table Society of BC. He also is a knowledgeable wine guy. Even back in a posting here on December 16, 2013 Angus suggested and prepared dishes to contribute to a BCLDB Sauternes seminar. His Maenam Thai duck salad was so popular and paired beautifully with several top 2007 sweet wines. Angus cleaned up winning as well Best Thai for Maenam and Best Casual for Fat Mao Noodles. Fantastic choice! Congrats.

More details on all the 2025 Van Mag Restaurant Awards here.

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Question: Sid – What is a new growing in hot popularity white wine grape other than Chardonnay that I should try?

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Wines from the Rhone have really gained a popular following by consumers over the last nearly 50 years. Lots of credit has to go to John Livingstone-Learmonth and Melvyn C. H. Master for spreading the quality word early with their first edition in 1978 of their book on The Wines of the Rhone. Also to Robert M. Parker who released his first Wine Advocate issue in the same year and followed with his first Rhone Valley (and Provence) publication in the late eighties. Parker especially championed the Rhone wines as great but underrated which contributed to their continually higher prices. Today there are still many excellent Rhone wines at very good value but now there are also some very expensive Rhone wines including Hermitage. This appellation uniquely allows two white grapes of mainly Marsanne with Roussanne but only one red Syrah. Some very old vineyards in Les Rocoules and Peleat for the whites and steep hillside lieu-dits on special granite soils in Les Bessards and others for the red contribute to a wonderful complexity in Hermitage wines. Event # 130 by the Vancouver Group of Eight on April 29, 2025 featured 10 wines from Hermitage over dinner at Bacchus Restaurant in the Wedgewood Hotel & Spa, Relais & Châteaux brilliantly managed by personable co-owner Elpie Marinakis, talented Executive Chef Stefan Hartmann, and knowledgeable Sommelier Edward Sweetman. Your scribe’s comments:

2003 HERMITAGE BLANC DOMAINE JEAN-LOUIS CHAVE Impressive viscous yellow look with thick slow tears on swirling. Lots of open spicy ginger, apricots, and honey-nuttiness. The typical aged big rich textures are oily, waxy and long. Label says 15 abv but this ripe year finishes rather hot for me and I believe it is near 16.5. Fond memories of purchases from Kermit Lynch of the amazing 1978 (bought in 1981 $14.75), elegant 1979 (in 1982 $12.50) and powerful 1983 (in 1986 $146/case) which all aged brilliantly with more balanced acidity. Prices are now high with the 2022 vintage just offered last week by SommSelect at $365US/bottle (and the same price for the red). A unique treasure.

2001 HERMITAGE BLANC DOMAINE JEAN-LOUIS CHAVE Lighter and only 13 abv but full waxy and elegant with better acidity. Ian bought this early on locally at Marquis Cellars at $214.90 Canadian. Reminded me of a younger floral orange citrus version of my last bottle of the lovely 1979 opened last year. Fine match with the exquisite lobster course.

2009 HERMITAGE LES BESSARDS DELAS Really appreciate how Delas has improved their Hermitage over the last few decades. This top old vines limited offering from Bessards is young, deep fruit, concentrated, powerful and rich. Shows that intense black olives signature with 100% new French oak in almost a smoky BBQ styling. Voluptuous at 14 abv with a bright future ahead of it. Patience.

2006 ERMITAGE “EX VOTO” E. GUIGAL This reserve has 40% Les Bessards and spent over 3 years in new oak. Interesting to compare how this first flight has four vintages all three years apart. Fresh at 13 abv is lighter than Delas but stylish with good fruit depth plus cocoa-coffee pepper Syrah definition. No rush. Well done. Liked this with the innovative rabbit terrine with foie gras mousse and pickled veg.

2003 HERMITAGE LA CHAPELLE PAUL JABOULET AINE The riper hot 2003 year is coming in at 14.5 abv but grapes are well selected by Jaboulet with limited production of 50,000 bottles – less than usual. Forwardly a bit atypical but big full bodied earthy sweet plums and rounded softer tannins. Enjoy.

2000 HERMITAGE E. GUIGAL Less intense fruit here at 13 abv in a leaner simpler display compared to “Ex Voto”. Easy enjoyable current drinking but a bit too supple and stewed – not quite complex enough.

1990 HERMITAGE LA CHAPELLE PAUL JABOULET AINE Cellared this smart purchase locally at BCLDB in 1993 at $65.65/bottle enjoying many bottles – last one sensational on February 2, 2025 with home-made Lasagna. Slightly different label but both have 13.9 abv. Here again this time very dark deep colour with a fantastic bouquet of sweet rich blackberries. Memories of first visiting with the legendary Gerard Jaboulet in his small office in Tain-l’Hermitage when he opened blind for me 1961 and just by pulling the cork the whole room smelled like you were up close in a blackberry jam-making facility. Wow what a bouquet! Classic top textbook balanced Rhone Hermitage. Similarly here with this 1990. So complex and classy – a legend already. Nick Wright found it “tighter” with “a little of the left bank Bordeaux cassis”. Wine of the Night for me, Ian Mottershead and Larry Burr. Popular choice.

1990 HERMITAGE MONIER DE LA SIZERANNE M. CHAPOUTIER Dark with a paler rim. Earthy spices and pepper but a tad rustic. Admire the deli meats, licorice, and tobacco notes with a smooth texture. Very good indeed but outclassed in this tough company. Would show better on its own.

1989 HERMITAGE DOMAINE JEAN-LOUIS CHAVE Looks young but a lot less colour than 90 Jaboulet. True pure spicy pepper Syrah nose. Really outstanding balance with elegance and delicacy. Subtle and complex. Continues to develop in the glass. I am impressed but I keep thinking it is not as great as their 1978 or arguably 1990 but picked as Wine of the Night by Fred Withers and Jim Robertson. Popular choice too.

1988 HERMITAGE LA CHAPELLE PAUL JABOULET AINE Cloudy but darker than Chave but much lighter edge. Forwardly on the nose but has less balance and more acidity with raw tannins. Better showing than when Gerard used to frankly state on poor vintages or those over the hill – “Make a sauce!” 1988 is in tough competition here.

1991 GRANGE SHIRAZ SOUTH AUSTRALIA PENFOLDS This was served by Ian double blind as a mystery wine. Black darker than 90 Jaboulet. Looks young but developed on the bouquet as very ripe (though label says 13.5) big fruit with different oak (American) that I guessed definitely Aussie Shiraz and probably Grange (with 5% Cab Sauv). Doug Loughran did an excellent analysis as well suggesting Grange. It was holding well and very impressive indeed. Some of us thought it was slightly one dimensional but what a fine dimension that is. Held up well but most of us preferred 90 Jaboulet & 89 Chave over it. No Australians attended. Paired better with the Alberta lamb course prepared two ways.

1988 QUINTA DE VARGELLAS VINTAGE PORT TAYLOR’S Bad vintage conditions for classic vintage Port in 1988 but this single Quinta offering has lots of sweet fruit over the spirit and though soft is very attractive. Underrated treat. Stunning second dessert too of “Sacher” chocolate cake and apricot, almonds, ice cream.

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Question: What does Replis mean in wine?

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Your scribe is fortunate to enjoy a diverse wide range of mature wines. Sometimes your expectations exceed the actual results. Other times less frequently the anticipation is met by an over delivery of delightful complexity. This past week was a the lottery win with three very different bottles all showing outstanding quality. My enthusiastic brief comments follow:

NOBLE RIDGE VINEYARD & WINERY THE ONE GRAND RESERVE SPARKLING 2017:

British Columbia are making some unsung excellent Sparkling wines. Pioneered by the dependable Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars there are now several top quality Sparkling producers. One of my favs is Noble Ridge in Okanagan Falls owned by conscientious Leslie & Jim D’Andrea and with the now Chief Operating Officer Benoit Gauthier but still the inquisitive talented Director of Winemaking & Viticulture. They all strive to produce the finest quality and have succeeded with this Sparkling wine. This first one produced in 2017 as a Grand Reserve is a step up from their regular dependable “The One”. Also check out their 2020 The One 20th Anniversary Sparkling plus 2021 The One Blanc de Blanc. Like how they picked the 2017 vintage of 78% Chardonnay and 22% Pinot Noir at low 18 Brix sugar but with defining unique terroir using Methode Traditionnelle en Tirage for 66 months at 12.1 abv with only 2.5g/l residual sugar for 165 cases. Others like it too as Katherine McEachnie, Master of Champagne, gave it 100 points as “truly exceptional – It is refined, elegant and finessed”. Your scribe appreciated the rich nutty balanced flavours with long lees aging complexity that was delightful both as an aperitif but also a wonderful pairing for a sardine pasta with sweet leeks, crisp celery, and toasted bread crumbs. Congrats! More of the same please.

BACO DIVINO NAPA VALLEY 1999:

Bacio Divino Cellars (“Divine Kiss” in Italian) is a small family owned Napa Valley winery of Winnipeg Canada transplant friend Claus Janzen who has a passion for top wine doing stellar marketing for 12 years at Caymus before his own first release in 1993. This 62% Cab Sauv is blended with 28% Sangiovese & 10% Petite Sirah was a bit disjointed early on but the three grapes have now come together magically for my last bottle. There is a Napa Cab Sauv signature here but further enhanced by the savoury smooth softer Sangiovese. Almost similar to a Cab Sauv Ornellaia with Merlot/CF/PV in the blend while here using Sangiovese & Petite Sirah coming in at 14/1 abv. Like the back label note of “Contains Some of the Winemaker’s Heart & Soul”. So true and has aged to surprising delightful drinking. Matched perfectly with a fresh local hand made meatball course with tomato and chickpeas. Baco Divino are now making some really outstanding wines using quality fruit from top vineyards as highlighted in this article here. Well done Claus & family.

CHATEAU TALBOT SAINT-JULIEN 1982:

This celebrated vintage stored well is showing brilliantly for many Bordeaux chateaux at 40+ years of age. Shows you how important it is to be vintage aware and collect these top years for later drinking. Talbot a Fourth Growth 1855 classification from Cordier was in these old days cheaper and usually playing second fiddle to their Second Growth big sister Gruaud Larose St. Julien – those 1982 and 1986 are also outstanding and more structured. Really appreciate how this value wine has developed and stayed on a beautiful drinking plateau (as has the 1986). It shows classic textbook pure bouquet of cedar cigar box lead pencil with intriguing leathery floral notes. So delicious and singing fully sweet, rich and balanced with a Penne Pasta Bolognese main course. Buy a current top vintage of Bordeaux from a value property and wait a few years (maybe not 40) to treasure this rare experience. Really a delightful surprise!

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