It's Saturday morning and my first seminar is Bubble-icious, led by the Wine Diva, Daenna Van Mulligen and Mark Taylor of Vancouver's Cru, named by Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards as the 2009 winner in The Best Small Plates category.
The seminar room is set up for tasting seven sparklers
We tasted seven sparklers—white, pink, and red. My favourites were the Lucien Albrecht Crémant RoséNV from Alsace, Luna Argenta Prosecco from Italy, and Laurent-PerrierCuvée RoséBrut Champagne NV from Champagne. The letters NV, if you're wondering, stand for non-vintage, meaning wine from different vintages is blended together.
After a quick lunch, it was off to Pinot Noir from Around the World, hosted by Michelle Bouffard and Michaela Morris of House Wine. We got a quick lesson about many of the Pinot Noir-growing regions of the world and tasted eight samples representing the regions. Here is the list:
My favourites were the Burgundy, B.C., New Zealand, and Chilean Pinot Noirs, numbers 2, 3, 4, and 6. And yes, number 8 from Oregon was good, too.
After our around-the-world Pinot tasting, we had an hour's break before it was time to learn How to Build & Manage a Wine Cellar, presented by the House Wine gals. This wasn't a how-to in the sense of hammers and nails; rather, we learned about constant temperature and humidity, the importance of avoiding excessive vibration, which wines are typically worthy of cellaring, and which ones should simply be enjoyed right away.
Michaela Morris and Michelle Bouffard helped us taste our way through 11 wines:
1. Pol Roger, Brut, Champagne AOC, France
2. Peter Lehmann, Semillon, Barossa, Australia
3. William Fèvre, Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre AOC, France
4. Stift Göttweig, ‘Messwein’ Grüner Veltliner, Austria
5. Markus Molitor, Riesling, Wehlener Sonnenhur Kabinett, Germany
6. Château Cambon la Pelouse, Haut-Médoc AOC, France
7. Emiliana, ‘Coyam’, Colchagua Valley, Chile
8. Altesino, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy
9. Penfolds, ‘St. Henri’ Shiraz, Australia
10. Penfolds, ‘St. Henri’ Shiraz, Australia
11. Château D’Armajan des Ormes, Sauternes
The Champagne, Chablis, and Brunello (numbers 1, 3, and 8) were my favourites.
Saturday night found us at Crush, the weekend's huge wine-tasting party and silent auction. We worked our way around the room, participated in a blind tasting (which, by the way, I aced by being able to identify which Pinot Noir was from B.C. and which was from Oregon) and talked to many of the people with whom I'd hoped to connect.
We passed on the after-parties and made our way back to our suite to rest up for our final day at Cornucopia that would start with Killer Value Wines, presented by Wine Access Magazineand panelled by D.J. Kearny, David Scholefield, Anthony Gismondi, and Mark Taylor. My favourite wines of the group that truly "over delivered" in flavour and value were the 2008 Boutari Moschofilero from Greece, the Pinot Noir from B.C. winery Thornhaven, and the Tempranillo Vina Albali Gran Reserva from Valdepeñas, Spain, all $20 or less. Interesting and worth trying again was The Wolftrap from South Africa.
Rick was taking in the Rodney Strong seminar and tasting, A Look at Luxury Cabernet from Sonoma, while I was sipping the value wines. When we were finished our respective seminars, he and I made our way to the Viking Stage where we learned how sushi is made and then tasted it paired with wine.
What a day.
What a weekend.
We said good-bye to our wine-soaked winter wonderland the world calls Whistler and hit the road.
Salut!
Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.
It's Sunday and we're in Whistler, home of the 2010 Winter Olympics, to learn, enjoy, and share the highlights (as I see them) of Cornucopia. Here, briefly, is what our Thursday and Friday held...
We arrived in Whistler on Thursday night around 6:00 and checked into our cozy suite at Club Intrawest.
After checking in, and then checking out our immediate surroundings, we walked through the lightly falling snow across the road to the Fairmont Chateau Whistler for a quick dinner and glass of wine. We then headed back to our temporary home to finish unpacking and get organized for the following three days.
Friday I took in the Bootcamp for B.C. Wines where Ingo Grady of Mission Hill and David Scholefield of British Columbia Wine Institute shared their knowledge and Passion (and I mean Passion with a capital P!) about B.C. wines, with a focus on terroir, varieties, and pairing. Following Bootcamp, and after a quick lunch, Rick and I took in the trade tasting, which gave us a great opportunity to both taste many of the wines and talk at some length with vintners and agents.
In the early evening, before our friends Karen and Brent were due to arrive, we attended the Top 25 Reception that was billed as "an exclusive celebratory reception showcasing the 25 Best Wines of the Festival..." and included many B.C. wines. Here's the list:
The Top 25 Wines at Cornucopia
Jackson–Triggs Okanagan Estate Proprietors' Reserve Shiraz
Cristalino Cava Brut
Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir
Sumac Ridge Estate Winery Sparkling Non Vintage Tribute
Arrowleaf Cellars Special Select Late Harvest Vidal 2008
Hester Creek Estate Winery Cabernet Merlot 2007
Rodney Strong Vineyards Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Beringer Founders' Estate Merlot 2006
Inniskillin Okanagan Estate Discovery Series Malbec 2007
Penfolds Thomas Hyland Shiraz 2006
Road 13 Vineyards Fifth Element 2006
Cat Amongst the Pigeons "Nine Lives” Shiraz 2007
Rodney Strong Vineyards Russian River Pinot Noir 2007
Gemtree Uncut Shiraz 2007
Garnacha de Fuego Grenache 2008
Bodegas Ostatu Rioja Crianza 2006
Penfolds Barossa Valley Bin 138 GMS 2007
Altesino Rosso Di Toscana 2007
Hester Creek Estate Winery Reserve Cabernet Franc 2006
See Ya Later Ranch Ping 2007
Road 13 Vineyards Jackpot Chardonnay 2007
Pikes Winery Pikes Traditionale Riesling 2008
Stoneleigh Chardonnay 2007
Bastianich Sauvignon "B" 2008
NK'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay 2007
I'll fill you in on the rest of our weekend later. Right now I have to scramble to get ready for Killer Wine Values, presented by Wine Access magazine.
Salut!
Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.
Scroll down and watch this funny video discussion about Stelvin closures (and other things) from Road 13 Vineyards, co-starring cellar master Bailey Williamson.
My gal-pals and I spent a rainy August afternoon in the Road 13 barrel room, with Bailey taking us through a fabulous tasting. He even taught me how to spit in the drain.
You can view Road 13's other videos here, here, here, and here.
Salut!
What if you could help support Canuck Place Children's Hospice by sipping wine from around the new world?
Well, you can when you attend The Globe in Your Glass on Wednesday, October 28, from 7:00-9:30 p.m at the Pan Pacific Hotel, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver.
Winemakers from Australia, New Zealand, California, and B.C. lead you through what they're proudly calling, "a new world wine discovery."
Tickets are just $25 but attendance is limited to 200 so you should move on this now. I'll be there...come and find me so we can meet!
If you'd like to donate directly to Canuck Place, please click here!
Salut!
Sip, sample, and savour wines from around the world and pair them with delectables from Chef Bill Schildpatt on Saturday, November 7 at Chilliwack's Best Western Rainbow Country Inn. Part proceeds go to support the Chilliwack Fraser Rotary Club and the Salvation Army Chilliwack Food Bank
Call Deanna Wardell at (604) 795-3828 to buy your tickets.
Salut!
Well, here it is, my first attempt at a video wine tasting. I was nervous. Wasn't loud enough. Should have given more detail. And forgot to have the label facing you, so I took a still photo of it.
But all that's okay because at least I tried. And my next one will be much better.
The wine I tasted was the 2008 La Stella Leggiero, an unoaked Chardonnay.
I'd love your feedback.
Salut!
