Between the Vines

YVR Wine Bloggers & Sommeliers Group share an evening of no-pressure and no-pretence wine tasting and education

Congratulations and a huge thank-you go out to Elizabeth Clinton of Seacove Group and Jeff Bashford of Farmstead Wines (and co-organizers of the YVR Wine Bloggers & Sommeliers Group) for putting together such a fabulous wine-tasting, -appreciation, and -education event…and for letting me volunteer.  Many thanks as well to Scott Landon Antiques on Granville Street for opening their show room to the occasion—and us!

 

It was certainly well worth our drive to Vancouver from Mission for the evening. I enjoyed tasting all the wines and meeting so many wine lovers. And it was great for my husband to see that I am not so unusual in my passion and oeno-geeky-ness.

 

There were 10 wine stations placed throughout the antiques showroom, each with its own “fundamental lesson” and wines. The lessons were posed as questions:

1.    What affect does climate have on wine?

2.    Do you agree with the critics?

3.    How many different grape varieties can you name?

4.    Does Argentinean Malbec taste like Malbec?

5.    When was the last time you served a Sherry?

6.    Can you describe what a Riesling tastes like?

7.    Will a glass of bubbly this festive season be your first this year?

8.    Do you consider yourself a red wine drinker?

9.    Do you think artisan wines are worth the money?

10. Do you prefer Molson Canadian or Kokanee?

 

I was pouring at station nine, along with chef and wine aficionado Weston Nawrocki of BeauCharles Wine & Food Consulting. To demonstrate our lesson, we poured the 2008 Rosemount Estate Diamond Label White from Australia and the 2003 Marc Tempe Alliance from Alsace, France.

 

It was wonderful meeting so many peopel in the flesh, so many folks I've known only "virtually" this last couple of years. And I was glad to finally have a real-live, face-to-face conversation with Paul Rickett, Bowen Island's Wine Guy.

 

A definite highlight of the evening was when Pamela Clarke, co-founder and Chocolate Spin Meister (yes, that’s her official title) of xoxolat told me her story:  She has always avoided wine-tasting events because, as much as she loves wine, and as much as she enjoys it with nearly every meal, she feared wine tastings would be intimidating and full of snobbery with wine experts who are all puffed up with their own self-importance. So when this event was billed as "no pretence," she thought she'd give it a try.

 

Pamela was so excited—and I mean excited—to (A) find that the billing was true—ours was a no-pretence, educational event—and (B) share a room jam-packed with people who simply love wine and love sharing their collective knowledge and passion.

 

And, you know what? I think she’ll venture out to more tastings now that she’s seen first-hand that not everyone in the wine world is, well, a snob.

 

Follow these folks on Twitter:

Jeff Bashford

Weston Nawrocki

Farmstead Wines

Seacove Group

Xoxolat

Paul Rickett

 

Salut!

 

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.

Cooler weather calls for hearty wine

This piece was originally published in the October 29, 2009 issue of My City, a monthly magazine distributed with the Abbotsford News.

As the days get shorter, cooler, and damper, I tend to pull out and serve my heartier wines with what are, just naturally, more substantial dinners. In my cellar, the heartier wines are typically red. And in the kitchen, the more-substantial dinners translate into almost anything that is roasted, stewed, or braised.

Take this weekend, for example. Pouring rain and falling temperatures meant a roasted rack of pork for our Sunday dinner and a Malbec from Argentina to sip. Read more...

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.  

Learn about the fermented grape at this relaxed, no-pretense (but tons of fun) wine-tasting night in Vancouver

Do you love wine as much as I love it? Ever wonder why you love it? Have you ever thought, "Gee, I'd sure like to know more, but I don't know where to go or whom to ask?"

Well, my dear, you are in luck!

A group of highly passionate and knowledgeable (but no where near stuffy or staid) wine lovers, bloggers, and sommeliers have joined forces to bring you an opportunity to learn about more than 20 different wine regions, styles, and winemaking techniques as you taste your way through 10 stations and 20+ wines in wine-show style.

At each station, you'll come away with a lesson to help you better understand wine fundamentals. And by the end of the evening, you'll have tasted some 20 yummy wines, found answers to your questions, and gained enough knowledge and confidence to boldly go and pick that next bottle of wine from any specialty liquor store shelf or restaurant wine list.

You will be encouraged to grab a glass of your favourite wine of the night to sip while you mingle and make new friends.

Mark your calendar now for next Tuesday, November 10, then click here for more information and to purchase your tickets.

Only 100 Tickets available—purchase online to receive a $10 discount.

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved. 

Friday night dinner at The Keg in Abbotsford

We had an early, impromptu dinner at The Keg in Abbotsford tonight. To start, Rick had a rum & coke and I sipped a single-serving cava as we shared tempura snap peas and asparagus.

For dinner, I had the Prosciutto-wrapped shrimp with prime rib and Rick had a steak with bacon-horseradish cream sauce. Mine was fabulous and Rick proclaimed his as "great."

The wine was a 2008 Domaine Jean Bousquet Malbec (13.8% ABV) from Argentina, "made from organically grown grapes."

I found vanilla, smoke, dark red fruits, and blackberries on the nose, with rose petals, spice, coffee, and ripe black fruits on the palate. The tannins were soft and the finish was longer than I had expected. This wine, not quite as sophisticated as its sister, the 2006 Reserva, is good and rings in at $33.95 at the restaurant and $15.99 at B.C. government liquor stores.

And our server, Joanna Lumley, was out of this world.

If only all servers could be as professional, warm, and appropriately attentive as this lovely young lady. You'd better hang on to her, Mr. Keg Steakhouse.

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved. 

Harvest report: BC's Okanagan Valley

BC is home to five official wine-growing regions or DVAs (designated viticultural areas): Okanagan Valley, Similkameen Valley, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands. Its most established and arguably most important DVA, the Okanagan, runs long and narrow from the Canada/U.S. border northward 160 km and encompasses Canada’s only bona fide desert and myriad mesoclimates. Read more...

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved. 

My first attempt at a video wine tasting...

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!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.

What wine will you serve with Thanksgiving dinner?

Thanksgiving dinner in Canada brings on a traditional comfort-food bonanza. Roasted turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, savoury stuffing, various vegetables, tangy cranberry sauce and lots of rich gravy all find a place on our dining table.

My usual advice to folks, when they ask what wine to pair with food, is to match or contrast the flavour, weight, and texture of the focus food with the flavour, weight and texture of the wine.

Traditional matches include a big, bold, heavy California cabernet sauvignon paired with a slab of beef, grilled rare, and a New Zealand sauvignon blanc paired with a summer salad dressed with a citrus vinaigrette. These wines match their partner focus foods. For contrast, foie gras with sauternes or gorgonzola cheese with ice wine are classic. The sweetness and acidity of the wines contrast the saltiness and richness of the focus foods.

But it’s tough with a turkey dinner because it has so many variables, so many flavours, textures, and weights that can be deemed the focus.

Thanksgiving dinner wine in our house is typically pinot noir, with Riesling served to those who don’t drink red. Neither wine is heavy or overly complicated (please don't confuse that with simple and boring) so they won't overpower or clash with the meal; conversely, they have enough presence so they aren’t beat up by the food.  Their acidity and fruitiness make them the well-rounded wines at a dinner ta 
ble.

They do it all—from cutting through the fatty richness of the gravy and standing up to the sweet-tart cranberries, to cleansing and preparing your palate for your next bite.

This year, however, I'll be going "pink" and offering up Segura Viudas Brut Rosé ($15.99/12% ABV), a sparkling Spanish wine made from trepat, garnacha, and monastrell grapes, and Le Vieux Pin Vaïla ($25.00/13.8% ABV), a pinot noir rosé from B.C.'s own Okanagan Valley.

All the wines I've mentioned have a really good acidity level, which makes them perfect for turkey dinner. If you haven't already, please read my piece called "Big Tang Theory" in Palate Press where I talk about acidity in wine and why it's a (really) good thing.

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.

Sumac Ridge NV Tribute served to honour WSET diploma grads

The Art Institute of Vancouver hosted a graduation reception last week for its first round of WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) diploma recipients.

To achieve the diploma, one must complete Level 4 of the WSET program, which is no easy feat; in fact it often takes students three years to complete the four units of Level 4.

Sumac Ridge Estate Winery supplied their NV Tribute, a sparkling wine made from chardonnay grapes using the methode classique. This wine was "created to honour world class athletic performance as it takes centre stage at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympics Winter Games" but served to honour the WSET grads, too. 

At the reception to receive their diplomas and celebrate all their hard work were:

• Louise Wilson of Andrew Peller Limited,
• Harry Hertscheg of Vancouver Playhouse Int'l Wine Festival,
• William Johnson of Poplar Grove,
• Tim Ellison of Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts,
• Sarah McCauley of Blue Water Cafe,
• Wes Hunter of Hotel Rialto, and
• Sharon McLean, wine instructor at The Art Institute's Vancouver Island classes, who was recognized for being The Art Institute of Vancouver's top WSET Diploma graduate 2009. To commemorate this achievement, Sharon was awarded a bottle of vintage champagne and an engraved crystal Riedel decanter. But that's not all. Sharon was also recognized for being the top Canadian graduate (including graduates from the BCLDB & those from IWEG in Toronto) and for this she was awarded an an all-expenses-paid two-week study trip to Australia next spring, courtesy of Wine Australia.

 
Sharon McLean says a few words and thanks study buddy Louise Wilson

 

From left: Mark Shipway, Harry Hertscheg, Sharon McLean, Louise Wilson,
Wes Hunter, Barb Philip, Michaela Morris, and Tim Ellison

Many people, including instructors, came to the event to show their support to the graduates. And Sachi Singh, manager/instructor at The International Culinary School, made sure everyone's glass was full and the appetizers kept coming.

Betty Verkhuil of Vancouver International Film Festival& Film Centre
and Shelley Hamer-Jackson of Wine Australia celebrate with grads

 

 
Mark Shipway and William Johnson are all smiles

 

More smiles...this time from Sarah McCauley and Harry Hertscheg

 

Sachi Singh makes sure our glasses are full

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.
 

Charities benefit as Vancouver restaurants pour the wines of Chile

Fourteen of the top Vancouver restaurants will be pouring Chilean wines billed as "au courant" on Monday night, September 28.

Your ticket price includes a reception at Vancouver's Sutton Place Hotel, where you can taste wines from the 30 visiting wineries, followed by a winemakers' dinner at one of the 14 participating restaurants. Transportation to your chosen restaurant (two have already sold out) from Sutton Place is included in the ticket price.

And, as "tweeted" by the Wines of Chile, Western Canada (@WoC_CanadaWest), if you are a buyer or journalist on assignment, you can enter to win a trip to Chile.

Of course, the real winners in all this are Grapes for Humanity and the British Columbia Hospitality Foundation, the Wines of Chile's partner charities.

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.

You still have time to eat, drink, and shop at EAT! Fraser Valley in Abbotsford

We spent the afternoon and early evening at the EAT! Fraser Valleyevent at Abbotsford's Tradex on Friday. While there, we took in the vendors, restaurants offering samples (the seafood chowder from Ravens on the Beach was a killer once again), and tasted our way through wine, beer, and rum.

You still have time to take it all in. The event runs until 9:00 tonight and again tomorrow, Sunday, September 13 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Rick and I spent some time with Abbotsford-South MLA John van Dongenand his constituency assistant Sherri Wacker at the front of the class learning how to taste wine from Vancouver's own Wine Diva, Daenna Van Mulligen. Before the formal presentation, and for our entertainment, she sliced the top off a bottle of bubbly with a sabre.

I tasted some beer from R & B Brewing and quite liked the Bohemian Lager, which I found to have a slightly bitter aftertaste that refreshed and cried out for some food. Now, I don't know anything about beer so these are simply my uneducated observations.

Art Hornel, a.k.a. The Dynamic Sales Guy pulls levers for thirsty patrons

We made a pleasant discovery while at the event: Mt. Lehman Winery. All their grapes are B.C.-grown, although they aren't all grown on their own estate. And, while they grow organically, they aren't yet certified organic. Donna Redekop poured us the red, an eight-grape blend called Pioneer Red that was juicy and earthy with red cherries and light tannins. This is an easy-sipper that would be super with spaghetti, pizza, or barbequed pork chops. The eight grapes that make up this blend are Zweigelt, Dornfelder, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, and two I've never heard of, but will research further: cabernet libre and cabernet foch. 

Donna Redekop of Mt. Lehman Winery pours their Pioneer,
an eight-grape blended red

You can find Mt. Lehman Winery at the south end of Abbotsford, just north of Townshipline Road and you can reach Vern Siemens—farmer, winemaker, and proprietor—by phone at 604-746-2881 or by e-mail at vern.siemens@shawlink.ca for wine information and tasting-room hours.

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.