What's better than tasting wine at 9:30 in the morning?
Not much, I'd venture. After all, palates and olfactories are well rested and untainted, yet awake enough to fully appreciate all the flavours and aromas a wine has to offer.
We proved this to be true last week when we met with Hester Creek Estate Winery's Kathy Mercier (wine shop manager/events co-ordinator) and Lee Ann Openshaw (hospitality manager) at The Sutton Place Hotel in Vancouver.
Kathy and Lee Ann, two lively women who obviously love their work, shared three of their 2008 white wines: Semillon Chardonnay ($16.09/13.8% ABV), Pinot Blanc ($16.09/13.8% ABV), and Trebbiano ($19.09/13.5% ABV).
We started by tasting before ordering food. And then, when our food came, we had a whole new set of experiences.
I enjoyed the Semillon Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc (which proved to be my favourite as it warmed up a little) on their own but felt the Trebbiano would be better with food, especially a nice pizza.
All three Hester Creek wines worked well with my bacon-and-tomato Eggs Benedict (which I've always called Eggs Blackstone), but I found the Semillon Chard to be the best of the lot to go with the mix of creamy, rich textures and tangy flavours of my breakfast. And, later that day, I confirmed my suspicion that the Trebbiano would be a yummy partner to a home-made pizza with Roma tomatoes, spicy capicolla, fresh basil, and a light sprinkling of Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. I'm pleased to say that Vancouver-based wine writer, blogger, and lover Kelly Robson (@Kellyoyo on Twitter) likes it with pizza, too.
Here are my tasting notes:
- Semillon Chardonnay
Fruit forward with green apple, citrus (esp. grapefruit), and tropical fruits on both nose and palate, while nice acid makes this wine very food friendly and a good one to try with Easter brunch or your turkey or ham dinner later on. - Pinot Blanc
Pear, honey, and stone fruit on the nose, with citrus, apple, and peaches on the palate, this wine is alive and juicy with a finish that gets better as it warms up a little. Also very food-friendly, the Pinot Blanc is my favourite solo sipper of the three. - Trebbiano
This wine presents just a little bit of floral and spice on the nose, but gives me a lot more on the palate: citrus, green apple, tropical fruits, a mineral undertone, with a floral component and spiciness that combine to remind me of (okay...I'm warning you that this may sound crazy) Goodies, those little candy-coated licorice bits. No, dear friend, the wine does not taste like candy. It's acidic and juicy and needs, in my humble opinion, food to bring out its best.
Curious about Hester Creek's logo? Click here to read its story.
Salut!
Copyright © 2010 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.
