Meek Vs. Geek: Deciphering Wine Speak

Does having a big vocabulary make you a wine connoisseur?

Just because you’re a wind bag when it comes to wine doesn’t mean you enjoy it anymore than the guy who sips and says, ‘dry, yet wet.’”

By Julianna Hayes
Kelowna Daily Courier
Each time I crack a bottle of wine I follow the same routine of studying it and sniffing it in much the same way my dogs do when they come across an interesting spot on the pavement.

Many of my drinking companions over the years have been puzzled by my behaviour but feel strangely compelled to mimic me — swirling and smelling and nodding in agreement at each description despite being completely clueless. Perhaps it’s the Canadian way, but most people are far too polite to call me on my actions. Or maybe they’re just too proud to admit they’re out of the loop.

It’s always refreshing when people do, however — and not because it’s an opening for me to pitch about the merits of sound wine knowledge. In truth, I welcome this opportunity to tell them that, in the grand scheme of things, how they drink and describe their wine matters little, as long as they enjoy it.

What matters most is if you like the wine or not...

Several years ago I clipped a cartoon from an industry publication that depicted four men – a beginner, intermediate, advanced and total geek – each holding a glass of wine. The beginner is admiring the wine and saying, “Pretty tasty and it’s got a good kick.”

The intermediate bloke says, “Soft and fruity. Nice nose.”

The advanced taster describes the wine as, “Ripe, well-balanced with an excellent balance of flavours and dense, chewy tannins.”

The wine geek goes further with, “Olive and earth notes accent a plum and raspberry character. A concentrated finish with firm tannins that wrap around the ripe berry flavours. Needs another 10 years’ cellaring.”

The geek demonstrated he has a sizable wine vocabulary and the advanced dude could probably hold his own in an industry arena. The less sophisticated fellows would likely struggle. But what was not lost on me is the fact that they all liked it, yet each taster had a different way of saying why he did.

And that’s the very point I have been trying to people who feel intimidated and belittled by the wine lingo. Just because you’re a wind bag when it comes to wine doesn’t mean you enjoy it anymore than the guy who sips from his glass and says, “dry, yet wet.”

When most people read a wine review they seek a simple answer to a simple question, ‘Did the critic like it or not?’”

Wine critics such as myself have made it our business to learn the language of wine. All of us started out with a limited appreciation, but for whatever reason it developed into a passion, if not an obsession, just as others might become fixated on classic cars or storm chasing. And if you think wine speak makes you gaga, watch an episode of Monster Garage or American Chopper and listen to those guys spout on about custom fuel tanks or the ideal hue of metallic midnight magenta.

That being said, when most people read a wine review they seek a simple answer to a simple question, “Did the critic like it or not?” Usually, the score will tell them what they want to know – the higher the number, the better the wine. In my case, any wine that rates at least a B- I am willing to drink again. Any wine that scores B+ and above, I will drink again…and again…and again.

The rest of the wine review is pretty much just gravy. Not everyone is an expert, but neither is everyone a beginner. As the cartoon demonstrates, there are people in between – intermediate and advanced sippers who want to know more about why they like or don’t like a particular wine and hope the critics can help unlock the mystery. Detail in wine reviews assists individual tasters in expanding their own wine vocabulary should they wish to do so.

You can’t very well agree that a wine has the bouquet of a lychee nut if you’ve never even seen one, much less know what it smells like.

Of course, this goes only so far because, as I’ve said before, there is no “universal palate.”  Not everything smells and tastes the same way to everyone, which is why consumers with lofty wine appreciation ambitions need to create experiences outside the bottle and beyond the pages of some wine text.

The way I personally did this was by smelling everything I could get my hands on, so I could better understand the descriptions I read in wine reviews. You can’t very well agree that a wine has the bouquet of a lychee nut if you’ve never even seen one, much less know what it smells like.

This is a time-consuming exercise and really only for those truly committed to the craft. But I did come across a clever technique of making “aroma jars” developed by Vancouver writers Kenji Hodgson and James Nevison. The system is an inexpensive alternative to high-end aroma kits, such as Nez du Vin, that are currently on the market for wanna-be wine geeks.

You simply take a bunch of empty spice jars and fill them with stuff such as dried apricots, apples and bananas, dried herbs, coffee beans, black licorice, cinnamon, black pepper, pieces of leather, rose petals, earth – anything with a scent you’ve seen in a wine review. This way when you are tasting wine, and you can’t get a grip on what you’re smelling, you can crack a couple of these aroma jars for inspiration.

Dried goods are best as they keep for a long time. You can fill the jars with fresh stuff, but remember it will go bad and the jars will have to be cleaned thoroughly before reuse.

Wine Notes

CedarCreek 2008 Classic Pinot Gris
Asian pear, yellow plum aromas fill the nose with just a touch of lees and a hint of nuttyness. Accented by citrus peel and mineral. Fresh dry entry with a full, bright mouthfeel of apple and pear and a citrusy finish.
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B
Notable: Accomplished maker of signature B.C.-style Gris. Fresh and fruit forward.
Price: $18
Availability: VQA shops, BC LDBs, private retailers 

Calona Artist Series 2008 Pinot Noir
Savoury notes with spice, vanilla, currants, sour cherry and raspberries are predominant in the bouquet with the medium weight on the palate, red berry flavours, a bit of spice and savoury accents. There’s a touch of menthol on the finish.
Cellaring Potential: Drink now and over the next 2-4 years
Score: B
Notable: A quaffable Pinot at a great price. Would like to see this one under screwcap.
Price: $15
Availability: VQA shops, BC LDBs, private retailers

Gehringer Vineyards 2008 Classic Ehrenfelser
Fresh peach leaps out of the glass with aromas of orange, vanilla and a hint of mineral. Bright, fresh and lively on the palate with tree fruit and citrus flavours and a clean, dry finish.
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B+
Notable: Great price and an excellent choice for après ski in the hottub. But where’s the screwcap?
Price: $14
Availability: VQA shops, BC LDBs, private retailers

 

How Well Do BC Wines Age?

B.C. wines aged 10+ years showed very well at a recent tasting.

“I find that people when they first get into wine assume a wine gets better with age – that a wine that starts off rich and fruity will get richer and fruiter. But in fact, kind of the opposite happens.”

By Julianna Hayes
A couple months ago I discovered with a cold shock a 1999 vintage of B.C. wine in my cellar.

I’m not in the habit of keeping wines for 10 years, mainly because my storage system is far from ideal. In fact, since this particular wine was acquired my “cellar” has been: a) the floor of my bedroom closet; b) the crawlspace of a rental home; and, most recently, c) a small, unheated room on the main floor of our newly renovated house. No climate controlled digs for my collection, I’m sorry to say.

This bottle moved with me several times and was housed, unwisely, in cardboard boxes for extended periods. It has been shaken and jostled, exposed to light, spent time near heat sources and smelly paint cans.

Thus, following the discovery of its prolonged existence, I didn’t have high hopes for what might greet me when I finally mustered the courage to open the bottle.

I recently attended a tasting of 10-year-old Okanagan wines, put on annually by Rhys Pender of Wine Plus Consulting, and by coincidence the very same wine was featured in the line up. While Pender’s bottle of 1999 La Frenz Cabernet Sauvignon surely got superior treatment than the one in my care, the tasting he organized would determine if there was any hope for mine.

….aging wines means accepting risks, as one can open a bottle and discover it is well past its prime. That can be unpleasant…

Pender lead a group of enthusiasts through a sampling of 13 local wines, most of which were culled from the libraries of the featured wineries. Among them were a 1997 Dry Riesling from Quails’ Gate, a 1998 Steller’s Jay Brut sparkling wine from Sumac Ridge, a 1999 Reserve Pinot Noir from Blue Mountain and 1999 Oculus Bordeux-style wine from Mission Hill.

These vintages would be considered relics considering that more than 90 per cent of wines are consumed within 24-hours of purchase. This is despite the persistent theory that all wines improve with time.

“I find that people when they first get into wine assume a wine gets better with age – that a wine that starts off rich and fruity will get richer and fruiter,” said Pender. “But in fact, kind of the opposite happens. It won’t be fruity at all, you kind of throw away that fruit. Instead it morphs into these interesting, subtle, complex secondary flavours – things like nuts and spices and earthy kind of flavours. So it’s quite different, right?”

He added that to truly enjoy older wines, consumers need to be ready for these changes and many people aren’t.

“If you do try them and find them nutty and cheesy and think, ‘I don’t know if I like this,’ then all you have to remember is to drink them young and fresh. But if you give them a chance, it actually can be quite an experience to drink older wines.”

I’d much rather drink a wine two years early than two years too late…”

Ingo Grady of Mission Hill and Rhys Pender of Wine Plus.

Ingo Grady, Director of Wine Education at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, was a co-presenter at the tasting. He pointed out that aging wines means accepting risks, as one can open a bottle and discover it is well past its prime. That can be an unpleasant experience.

“I’d much rather drink a wine two years early than two years too late,” he said, but added that the gamble can be well worth it. “If you have experience with tasting and tasting vocabulary, with these older wines if they’re magnificent, you will run out of descriptors. You simply will be lost for words to describe them,” Grady said.

There were plenty of wines that left us speechless that day. Unfortunately, the La Frenz Cabernet was not one of them. Pender’s bottle was oxidized and tasted dull and musty. That didn’t bode well for the one in my cellar, considering how I’d abused it over the years.

One never knows what they’ll find when they finally pull the plug, but that’s part of the thrill….

Two days later, I bucked up and opened it and wasn’t surprised when the cork broke apart the moment I inserted the corkscrew. After I fished out all the chunks and poured a glass, I braced myself for the sensory assault. But to my happy surprise, the wine had held up despite my hideous treatment of it. It was indeed past its best-before date, but still quite drinkable.

It was a classic example of bottle variation often found in wines under natural cork and stored in varying conditions. One never knows what they’ll find when they finally pull the plug, but that’s part of the thrill.

Other things to remember when it comes to aging wine are:

• Don’t look for varietal character in a mature wine, said Grady. He cited the example of an aged California Zinfandel he once tried that tasted like a mature French Bordeaux.

• Acidity levels stay the same in aged wines, but the perception of acidity will heighten as the fruit character fades.

• Alcohol levels have risen substantially over the years. The examples from 10 years ago are at least one to three per cent lower than they are today. Perception of alcohol also increases in mature wines.

Here are the notes from the tasting:

Sumac Ridge 1998 Steller’s Jay Brut
Still quite crisp and fresh but with fantastic toasty, nutty, creamy elements and a bit of sherry character from the age. Complex, interesting and rich. Very yummy. 12.2 per cent alcohol. Great value. Drink now.

Quails’ Gate 1997 Dry Riesling
Some fresh green apple on the nose but there’s a touch of that fermented old fruit character on the palate. Some lean, lime, angler flinty notes. The group favourite among the Rieslings. 11 per cent alcohol. Drink now.

Wild Goose 1999 Riesling
Citrus, mineral, peach, baking spice and vanilla aromas with some chalky, honey, petrol elements that can be found in Old World-styled Rieslings. Still nicely balanced with acidity and fruit. Good length and elegance. 11.3 per cent alcohol. Drink now.

Gray Monk 1999 Riesling
Some honeyed character but rather oxidized as well. Perception of acidity is high. Fruit has all but disappeared. Described as having a touch of “grandmother’s attic” in the aromas. 11.1 per cent alcohol. Opened two years too late.

Mission Hill 1999 Estate Chardonnay
Very buttery, baked apple, peach, caramel and tropical fruit aromas. Rich, oily texture on the palate, loads of baking spice, nutty character, but just enough freshness for balance. Drinking beautifully. 13.2 per cent alcohol.

Hawthorne Mountain 1998 Chardonnay
Some funky dirty sock, cheesy aromas and dusty cork character which follows through onto the palate. Hints of nuts and spice, bruised apple. Not very pleasant. 12.5 per cent alcohol. Past its prime.

Slamka Cellars 1998 Pinot Noir
Cedar, forest floor, earthy, sour cherry, chocolate, tobacco, pepper spice. Still nice fruit, earthy and elegant. Still fresh and bright for an aged Pinot. 13 per cent alcohol. Drink now or hold for another 1-2 years.

Quails’ Gate 1998 Family Reserve Pinot Noir
Quite opaque, charred meaty, intense nose, dark cherry fruit, chocolate, some fresh notes with some woody, animal, nutty notes. Quite tannic still. 13.5 per cent alcohol. Best held for another 1-3 years.

Blue Mountain 1999 Pinot Noir
Butterscotch candy, violets, baking spice, cherry cola, raspberry. Soft and fleshy with some nice savoury characteristics. 13 per cent alcohol. Drink now or hold for another 1-2 years.

Sumac Ridge 1998 Merlot
Aromas of Christmas cake, cinnamon, candied cherries, gingerbread, luscious and delicious. Ripe fruit palate with lovely chocolate character, baking spice, black cherry flavours. 13 per cent alcohol. Drink now or hold for another 1-3 years

Mission Hill 1999 Oculus
Coffee bean, earthy, savoury notes accented by charred aromas with bright dark red fruit on the palate. Still some nice freshness, some tannin but quite weighty on the palate. 13 per cent alcohol. Drink now or hold another 1-3 years.

Poplar Grove 1999 Merlot-Cabernet Franc
Earthy, spicy with tarry aromas. Dark and savoury, with some bell pepper and sage character. Quite hot on the finish. 14.5 per cent alcohol. Drink now

La Frenz 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon (from my cellar)
Bell pepper, black cherry, chocolate, savoury notes with some lifted freshness on the palate. Dusty chocolate, spice, cherry flavours, hints of sage and roasted peppers. 13.5 per cent alcohol. Drink now.

Aging wines over a prolonged period is risky but often worth the gamble.

 

Christmas Eats Head East at Mission Hill

As loved ones come to the table on December 25^th, few are thinking Thai or Chinese, but how about on the other 11 days of Christmas?”

Seared albacore tuna and sunomono salad with Mission Hill Reserve Pinot Noir.

 

By Julianna Hayes
I have a confession to make. As adventurous as I’ve become in my kitchen over the past decade, the Christmas feast I put on our table is woefully uninspiring.

Not only do I stick to tradition, but my turkey comes pre-stuffed out of a box, my gravy in a package and my cranberry sauce in a can. This is because we spend the holiday most years up at the ski hill where I am sadly shy of efficient kitchen tools and fresh food resources.

Combine that with a personal preference for playing in the snow over shoving bread cubes up a raw turkey’s bum and you’ll find simplicity is my order of the day.

While most cooks likely put more thought into what they serve friends and family on this special holiday, the bird is still the word in the majority of households. Any efforts to spice things up are typically reserved for the side dishes, like adding blue cheese to the Brussell sprouts or a splash of brandy to the gravy.

Certainly, as loved ones come to the table on December 25^th, few are thinking Thai or Chinese, but how about on the other 11 days of Christmas?

Mission Hill terrace chef Riley Bennett was thinking outside the box when he conceived the theme for his Asian-inspired Christmas culinary class offered at the winery last week. As part of a demonstration kitchen series called “Cook Like a Chef,” Bennett kicked tradition to the curb and dished out a series of festive offerings culled from his travel experiences in the Far East. His goal, he explained, was to take staple foods from Asia, combine them with local ingredients and give them all a Christmas twist.

Chef Riley Bennett demonstrates the Peking duck technique on a Cornish Game Hen.

“This is probably the most challenging, fun, creative, most researched class that I’ve ever had to develop,” he said, adding that a large number of Asians celebrate Christmas with a meal the way we do here. “It’s a very Western influenced holiday. That’s why I kind of took a different approach with this Christmas class that is Asian-inspired, using local products.”

With his menu, Bennett took participants on a whirlwind trip to Korea, Japan, India, China and Thailand.

All the courses featured ingredients, flavours and cooking techniques that are signatures of the cuisine of each place. For example, the Korean dish of steamed sablefish included kimchi, a traditional side dish of pickled vegetables, primarily Napa cabbage. But Bennett gave it a decidedly local spin by adding butternut squash to the recipe.

For the Chinese recipe, he applied the method used to making Peking duck to a couple of Cornish game hens. It is a laborious technique that starts with separating the skin from the fat by pumping air underneath it and then ladelling the bird with a hot glazing liquid and allowing it to air dry before cooking. The result is a deep brown, super crispy skin that is typically rolled in crepes. In addition to using game hens instead of duck, Bennett also added maple syrup to the glaze.

You may not be ready to give up your roast turkey on Christmas day, but at some point during the holidays you might be inclined to visit the Far East…”

For the Japanese dish, Bennett prepared an orange sunomono salad with seared albacore tuna. The visit to India consisted of roasted ground lamb kebabs served up like lollipops with roti. And the Thai-inspired dish was a ginger coconut crème caramel with red rice ice cream.

All the dishes were demonstrated by Bennett and his kitchen team, who offered cooking shortcuts and suggestions on sourcing ingredients locally. He showed participants the proper way to fillet a whole fish and tricks like dry toasting spices to bring out their flavours and how to easily peel ginger using a spoon.

The holiday twists he gave to the dishes included the use of reminiscent flavours and ingredients such a maple, vanilla, orange, clove, cinnamon and pistachios. But it was colourful components such as red peppers and bright greens that truly gave them their festive flair.

And, of course, all the dishes were accompanied by wine selected to mirror or contrast their elements. The Peking-style game hens were paired with the 2006 Quatrain – a blend of Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon – which reflected the luscious, deep, mouth-coating flavours of the maple-spice glaze and hoisin sauce served as an accompaniment.

The 2007 Perpetua Chardonnay was lovely with the steamed sablefish and kimchi as it’s light buttery character matched that of the fish while there was just enough balanced acidity for the pickled vegetables.

You may not be ready to give up your roast turkey on Christmas day, but at some point during the holidays you might be inclined to visit the Far East.

By the way, if you’re looking for a last minute gift, Mission Hill has a whole line up of culinary classes running most Tuesday and Thursday evenings starting January 7. They include demonstrations on low-calorie cooking, pairing with sweet wines, using ingredients sourced within 100 miles, a Julia Child tribute, as well as courses inspired by Jamaica, Portugal and Spain, just to name a few.

The classes cost $79 each and include all food and wine. A package deal of three is available for $219. Visit the winery’s website for details or to book online or call 250-768-6483.

Warm and wonderful wishes to you for the holidays!

 Wine Notes

Mission Hill 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir
Smoky black cherry, chocolate, vanilla, savoury notes with a touch of orange peel. Smooth and luscious on the palate with cocoa, raspberries, vanilla and some lifted citrus flavours. Mild tannins.
Cellaring Potential: Drink now and for the next three years
Score: B+
Notable: Ripe, full-bodied Pinot that is fairly easily to drink. Served during Asian culinary class with seared tuna and orange sunomono salad.
Price: $22
Availability: VQA shops, BC LDBs, private retailers

Tinhorn Creek 2006 Oldfield Series Syrah
This is a big meaty savoury Syrah with smoky notes, pepper, vanilla, coffee bean, black olive and black plum and cherry components. Big and bold on the palate with fairly firm tannins with black fruit flavours, smoked meat, coffee bean and leafy elements.
Cellaring Potential: Best in 2-4 years
Score: B+
Notable: Oldfield Series is the high end signature releases from proprietors Sandra and Ken Oldfield.
Price: $35
Availability: VQA shops, BC LDBs, private retailers.

 

Xmas ‘09: No More Island for Misfit Wine Toys

By Julianna Hayes
During a recent move, I divested myself of a fair bit of junk, including a near boxful of wine paraphernalia that had accumulated over the years.

Much of the stuff was acquired through promotion – logoed clothing and devices that were ill-fitting or ill-designed. But many items were bestowed upon me by well-meaning friends and relatives who took my passion for wine as inspiration for gift-giving.

….most wine lovers probably have a drawer full of little-used novelties….”

In keeping with the growing green theme of re-use, re-gift and recycle, I set up a “free” table outside my home and displayed all my unloved wares – you could call it my island for misfit wine toys.

I was amazed at the number of people with an apparent use for empty wooden wine boxes, logoed hats and golf balls, and assorted bottle stoppers, wine glass charms and decorative objects in various states of repair. Even a couple of CDs of “music to drink wine by” somehow found a new home. I have to wonder if they’ll end up in some other wine lover’s stocking this year.

Speaking of Christmas, with the holiday shopping season in full swing, I’ve received a few requests for recommendations of must-buy gadgets for the vinous enthusiast. I always preface my reply with a caution that most wine lovers probably have a drawer full of little-used novelties.

That being said, I have compiled a shopping list of the most popular wine items available, some new, some noteworthy, some not:

1. Wine carriers – The green movement has generated a huge push toward reusable shopping bags and thus it is no surprise there would be several available with separate compartments to hold wine securely. The options are endless – from the inexpensive, lightweight nylon kind, similar to the mass market production of ones used in grocery stores, to high-end leather briefcase-style ones for upper crust enthusiasts.

My favourites are the carriers made of neoprene. They serve several purposes, working as simple tote bags, but they also keep wine insulated and help protect it from breakage. The material is very light-weight and they come in compact styles, making them ideal for stashing wine in your suitcase without using space stealing packing materials like Styrofoam and bubble wrap. Available in single, double and triple formats. $10-40.

2. Wine openers – While I still favour the old-fashioned waiter’s corkscrew (or better yet, a wine with a twist-off cap and no opener required), many people opt for the convenience and lightening quick pull style of lever and electric openers. There are pros and cons to both.

Electric openers are battery operated, so if they run out and you haven’t any spares on hand, you’re hooped. Meanwhile, lever styles are often large and take up valuable kitchen real estate. Many of the electric ones sound like a dentists’ drill and some even resemble a vibrator. Priced $25-$250 (whereas, a waiter’s corkscrew is available for under $10).

3. Wine aerators – There are a number of gadgets on the market that claim to aerate your wine and instantly improve with no need for decanting. The two top sellers at the moment are the Nuance Wine Finer ($40-$50) and the Vinturi Wine Aerator ($50-$60). Both were demonstrated for me using the same wine and I noticed a discernable improvement with each of them.

The Vinturi is kind of neat visually, as you can watch the wine being poured through the aerating chamber. It’s reasonably compact and looks easy enough to clean (easier, certainly, than a decanter. But you have to hold it over your glass or use a special stand, which is just more clutter. My preference, therefore, is for the less expensive Nuance, which is designed as a sleek tube you simply stick into the bottle. It also filters out sediment and comes with a stopper, so there’s no need to take it out and re-cork the bottle.

4. Wine preservation systems – A lot of cash is being shelled out for anti-aging devices aimed at prolonging the life of an open bottle of wine because apparently we can’t manage to finish one in under 10 days. Call it botox for wine bottles.

While inexpensive vacuum pumps like the Vacu Vin and cans of inert gas are still popular, all the rage these days are top-end multiple-bottle preservation systems that will turn your kitchen into a state-of-the-art wine bar. This trend was started by Enomatic, which began supplying restaurants (such as the Rotten Grape in Kelowna) and high-end homes two years ago with an impressive series of these systems to the tune of $6,000 to $36,000. Now there are several companies which offer more affordable options for home. Included among them are Winekeeper, Skybar, Eurocave, Wine Saver and NitroTap, which will allow you to keep two to eight bottles on the go.

Most include serving taps for each bottle so you can pour a glass at a time and some have temperature control settings. But none of them are exactly cheap, ranging in price from $400 to as much $8,000 for the top-of-the-line, eight-bottle kind.

5. Wine Chillers – Since most wine is consumed within 24 hours of purchase, it stands to reason many people don’t have time to chill their wines. There are several devices on the market which claim to rapidly chill a bottle so you don’t waste anytime before drinking it. But of the ones available there are inherent problems to each.

The Ravi Instant Wine Chiller ($50-$60) is a gadget you place in the freezer which ices the steel chamber inside. It chills your wine as you pour it through the chamber and into your glass. Cons: It’s recommended for red wine only, as it won’t chill white down sufficiently. So what exactly is its point? Also, the chamber has to be completely dry before you put it back into the freezer and that will take a couple days.

The Winesceptre Wine Chilling System ($150) is similar but more attractive. It is said to keep your wine at the optimum temperature. But – and it’s a big one – you have to start with a chilled bottle of wine. Thus, it behoves you to read the fine wine print, particularly considering its hefty price tag.

A third option is the Cooper Rapid Chiller ($70), a countertop electric device you fill with ice and in which you place a bottle. When you flick on the switch, your bottle spins around on the ice, theoretically chilling it. I had one of these and it took about 20 minutes to get the wine reasonably cold. Plus you were left with a soggy label and a wine that been spinning mercilessly for an extended period. An ice bucket is far more effective than these devices and cheaper.

Wine Notes

Van Westen 2008 Vino Grigio
Bright orange peel, floral, melon, nectarine aromas with some mineral flint. Fresh and lively on the palate with bracing acidity on the finish. Lovely, fruit forward style.
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B+
Notable: Made from 100% Pinot Gris fermented in stainless steel.
Price: $19
Availability: Winery, private retailers, some VQA shops

Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery 2008 Birch Canoe Pinot Blanc
Apple, honey, tropical and pear aromas with some floral notes. On the palate there is mineral, apple skin, with pear and canned fruit flavours. Nice freshness on the finish.
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B
Notable: Good value for a holiday cheese party
Price: $13
Availability: VQA shops, BC LDBs, private retailers

Sumac Ridge 2006 Black Sage Meritage
Rich and savoury with black cherry, cassis, chocolate, herbal, bell pepper character and a hint of tobacco. Big mouthfeel with chewy, savoury tannins and a slightly hot finish
Cellaring Potential: Best in 2-4 years
Score: B+
Notable: Almost 50 % Cabernet Sauvignon with 25%  Cabernet Franc, 25 % Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot.
Price: $29
Availability: VQA shops, BC LDBs, private retailers

 

Vancouver Cooks 2: “Eat This Book”

Chefs featured in Vancouver Cooks 2 form a culinary assembly line.

By Julianna Hayes

I love to cook and finally have the kitchen in which it’s a joy to do.

My idea of the perfect evening is spent at the island chopping, pureeing, sauteing and braising while sipping a lovely glass of wine. This ritual is made even more perfect if it actually results in a yummy meal.

This cookbook combined with good wine and a well-stocked kitchen will really deliver.

Though I have a pretty good palate when it comes to what’s in my glass, I struggle putting things together on my plate without the crutch of a recipe. I know people who possess the kind of raw talent that enables them to re-create dishes they’ve tasted elsewhere. They can easily identify ingredients and flavours in food put them together in their appropriate ratios. Me, I need step-by-step instructions.

These limitations frustrate me to no end when I enjoy a particularly good meal and upon enquiring about the recipe am told the chef carefully guards it like a state secret. This is especially true in restaurants – I mean, even Colonel Sander’s 11 herbs and spices formula for his heart-clogging Kentucky Fried Chicken remains a mystery and he’s been dead for almost 30 years.

So it was with pleasure that I got my mitts on a copy of Vancouver Cooks 2, the second edition of a compilation of recipes from top culinary professionals, written on behalf of the Chefs’ Table Society of B.C.

Despite what its title suggests, the book actually includes individuals from across the province, including the Okanagan – such as Bernard Casavant, who just recently moved from the Sonora Room at Burrowing Owl winery in Oliver to Kelowna’s Manteo Resort; Matt Batey of the Terrace Restaurant at West Kelowna’s Mission Hill; and Ned Bell of Cabana Bar and Grille in Kelowna.

If you can source out the ingredients and are ready to roll up your sleeves, even the most complicated dishes are broken down into manageable steps…

The book was released at an extravagant dinner held last month at Mission Hill and prepared by five of the chefs featured in it. As a worshipper of cookbooks, it was a unique opportunity for me, who is unfamiliar with the food of many of this tome’s heralded figures, to sample a small selection and decide if it is something I’d want to replicate. 

I’ll say this, if my attempts come anywhere near what I tasted that night, I will not only “eat this book,” as editors Jamie Maw and Andrew Morrison suggest, I will devour it.

But then, this isn’t your ordinary mid-week fare.

Squash ravioli with black truffle butter.

There were spoons of ambrosial Dungeness crab with a texture that could only be described as luxurious. One plate featuring a seared Qualicum scallop with squash ravioli dressed up with heavenly black truffle butter. Another dish included a stuffed boneless Cornish hen with an escargot ragout.

Hands down, the highlight of the night was a melt-in-your mouth sablefish served up in a velvety coconut curry sauce, prepared by Vikram Vij of Vij’s in Vancouver. It left me practically speechless and others who were in attendance are still talking about it.

Indian food is not meant to be overly spicy. The idea is that when you sweat a little bit, you cool your body temperature down, but your palate should be perfectly fine,” says Vikram Vij.

I don’t know where to begin describing it. The spices and flavours were so fully integrated with just the right amount of heat on the finish to make you flush, but without taking over. It was, by far, the best Indian food I have ever had.

Vij spoke briefly about his creation. “When people go out to Indian restaurants, they think that Indian food is supposed to be very hot,” he explained. “Indian food is not meant to be overly spicy. The idea is that when you sweat a little bit, you cool your body temperature down, but your palate should be perfectly fine.”

Unfortunately, that particular dish is not in the book. However, a yummy looking chicken and curry dish is. Maw explained that changing it up for the dinner was necessary to achieve a balance through several courses. I only share this because I don’t want you to go searching for something I’ve mention and be disappointed.

Although the book is intended for the at-home cook, it’s meant for one who has a well-stocked kitchen and is prepared to commit to some culinary elbow grease if he or she intends to tackle any random recipe.

I’m reasonably equipped with decent pots and pans and upper-end consumer appliances, but my pantry is woefully bereft of black truffles, flying fish roe and lavender-infused sugar. You certainly won’t find oxtail, trout bellies or eel in my refrigerator on any given Wednesday.

That being said, if you can source out the ingredients and are ready to roll up your sleeves, even the most complicated dishes are broken down into manageable steps. There is mouth-watering photography accompanying many of the recipes so you’ll know what the food is supposed to look like in the end.

One of my favourite aspects about the book is the local wine pairings that accompany every recipe so it takes the guess work out of one of the most challenging components of entertaining especially. There is no favouritism shown among the wineries, which is impressive – all throughout the Okanagan, Fraser Valley and Gulf Islands are very well represented.

The book is certainly worth a buy. And even, if I don’t pull it off my shelf every weekday evening, I’m expecting it with be stained and dog-eared in no time.

Wine Notes

Twisted Tree 2008 Trio
Bright aromas of tropical fruit, citrus, peach, white flowers. Fresh, bright and light on the palate. A pretty easy sipper at decent value.
Would I Buy It? Yes
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B
Notable: Trio refers to the combination of three Rhone varietals: Marsanne (50 %), Viognier (36 %) and Rousanne (14 %), which are fairly new additions to the valley
Price: $22
Availability: Winery, select retailers

Mission Hill 2007 Perpetua
An elegant Chardonnay featuring baked apple, some buttery notes, orange peel, lime, mineral, pear, hazelnut with bright tree fruit flavours and a touch of cream on the palate. Quite lovely to sip or to bring some brightness to a creamy seafood dish.
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: A-
Notable: The second vintage of this Chardonnay in the Legacy series, the simple packaging is elegant and gorgeous like the wine. Beautiful fruit and a light touch of French oak equals lovely balance.
Price: $30
Availability: Winery, select retailers

 

Of Boxed Wines and Krispy Kremes

If Sauvignon with your Slurpee has a certain panache, could Cabernet with your Krispy Kreme be far behind?

By Julianna Hayes
I’m highly anticipating the day when Krispy Kreme donut franchises start making and selling wine.

It’s not that far-fetched, considering U.S.-retail giant Wal-Mart not only peddles oceans of wine, but also bottles its own imbibement. The irritating yellow happy face sticker is blissfully absent from the branding, but the Oak Leaf label is the cheap and cheerful value you’d expect from any Wal-Mart product, at just $3 a pop.

The latest entry into the wine making and bartering arena is the 7-Eleven chain, which has added a house label called Yosemite Road to its eclectic conveniences of Twinkies, tampons and tacos. People have been stopping at 7-Eleven for alcoholic road pops for almost two decades, but bottling its own wine and selling it for $4 a bottle takes customer service to a whole new level.

If Sauvignon with your Slurpee has a certain panache, could Cabernet with your Krispy Kreme be far behind?

In the U.S., it seems that the business of wine making, distribution and marketing is focused on convenience, clever branding and value at any price point.

The “Think Green, Drink Red” program is ingenious in addressing a growing global issue of sustainability and providing a cost-friendly incentive for consumers to do the same.

For middle-of-the-road consumers looking for deals a notch above Two-Buck Chuck, a good example is the refillable wine bottle model recently adopted by an Idaho winery. Pend d’Oreille sells its entry-level table wine for $25 for a 1.5 litre bottle, which once consumed can be brought back to the winery and refilled for a reduced cost of $16.

The “Think Green, Drink Red” program is ingenious in addressing a growing global issue of sustainability and providing a cost-friendly incentive for consumers to do the same. Not unexpectedly, most bottles have been returned for top-ups multiple times.

North of the border any such program would likely be smothered under a mountain of taxes. But some hopeful strides are being made despite the government’s noose-like grip around the necks of local vintners.

Two Penticton area wineries now offer bag-in-a-box wines that are not only great bargains, but are far superior in quality than most of the cardboard-clad junk available at the liquor store. Pentage, located on Lakeside Road on the way to Okanagan Falls, has been offering its Pinot Gris in this format for a few years now, currently selling three-litre boxes for $60, which works out to be $15 for a regular-sized bottle. That represents a savings of $12 on the total box from the regular retail price of $18 a bottle.

Any stigma associated with these “cask” wines isn’t slowing down sales, as the Pentage Pinot Gris routinely disappears out in short-order – as has been the case again this year.

While that winery doesn’t offer a red option, Poplar Grove, located on the Naramata Bench, does. It started packaging two wines in this format this year under its secondary label of Monster Vineyards. The Man-Made Blend is a white that typically sells for $18. But consumers pay the equivalent of just $13.70 when they pick up the three-litre bag-in-the-box at a total cost of $54.80. That a whopping $17.20 savings.

But what’s perhaps best about a bag-o-box wine is its lengthy shelf life. Once you crack that plastic tap, it stays fresh for up to six weeks…

And wisely, Poplar Grove has anticipated demand by launching Monster Vineyards Merlot in a box, selling it for $59.80. That works out to $14.95 a bottle – a savings per of $5.05. Since the wine retails regularly for $20, it’s like getting a bottle for free.

While the bag-in-the-box option may not be as “green” as the refillable bottle model, it’s advantageous in many ways. It’s fully recyclable and the average three-litre box is 38 per cent lighter than four average weight glass bottles. If you take into account some of the “naughty heavy” bottles – as described by British scribe Jancis Robinson – being used by numerous valley wineries, the boxes are indeed planet friendly.

But what’s perhaps best about a bag-o-box wine is its lengthy shelf life. Once you crack that plastic tap, it stays fresh for up to six weeks. The proprietors of Pend d’Oreille have admittedly had to educate their customers on the rapid demise of their unsealed magnum. They have shamelessly used the opportunity to “up sell” by peddling special stoppers and anti-oxidization systems like the Vacu-Vin or aerosol cans that inject preservative gases into the bottle.

Granted, a box isn’t as pretty on the table, but that’s what decanters are for.

It remains to be seen whether consumers will get a rebate on the other green initiative taking place in the valley. It may come as a shock to many that despite diligently returning their spent glass bottles to recycling depots, the empty vessels don’t actually get processed for reuse. They instead get shipped away and melted down for other purposes.

Numerous wineries, spearheaded by Road 13 vintner Michael Bartier, are planning to introduce a wine bottle reuse program next year. The participating 30-40 wineries will adopt common bottle types which, after being recycled, will be sent to a bottle washing plant in Summerland. The clean packaging will then be redistributed for refill. Currently one vintner – Burrowing Owl in Oliver – already makes use of the plant’s services by washing and reusing bottles that are returned directly to the winery.

Bartier pegs the savings at about 46 cents per bottle, which might not seem significant, but will add up over time.

Wine Notes

Poplar Grove Monster Vineyard 2008 Man-Made Blend
Fresh and bright with plenty of citrus rind, stone fruit aromas and hints of honey and floral notes. Crisp acidity on the palate with some peach and tropical fruit flavours. Offers a clean snappy finish
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B+
Notable: Relatively low in alcohol at 12.9%, perfect for hot-tub sipping.
Price: $18 for 750 ml, $54.80 for 3 l
Availability: Winery, select retailers

Poplar Grove Monster Vineyard 2007 Merlot
Bright ruby colour with fresh red berry aromas, cherries, vanilla and some earthy character. Bright fresh ripe berry entry, simple elegance and good weight on the palate with low tannins
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B+
Notable: Vineyard named for Okanagan Lake’s legendary Ogopogo
Price: $20 for 750 ml, $59.80 for 3 l
Availability: Winery, select retailers

Pentage 2008 Pinot Gris
Superb freshness of grapefruit, orange peel, pear, mineral, lime, green apple and some light floral notes. Bracing acidity on the entry with honeyed apple, melon and lime flavours.
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: A-
Notable: Consistently well made with true varietal character.
Price: $18 for 750 ml, $60 for 3 l
Availability: Winery, but sold out – watch for next vintage

 

Chef at Home Plate in Video Podcasts

To actually have a video of a chef, whether it’s me or whoever, and kind of follow through the process I think makes it less daunting for the at-home cook.” – Rod Butters, Home Plate

RauDZ's spice-rubbed halibut with nectarines, raspberries and baby carrots.

By Julianna Hayes
Rod Butters plates a plump piece of spice-rubbed halibut on a bed of greens with fresh nectarine slices and raspberries. The fish is fragrant, the flesh firm, but flakes easily with a fork and melts in your mouth.

It’s yummy.

Mere mortals would be suitably impressed by Butters’ delicious dish and pleasing presentation but equally daunted by the idea of preparing it themselves. Yet, the chef and co-owner of RauDZ Regional Table Restaurant in Kelowna slapped the whole thing together in a matter of minutes and made it look like a snap.

Rod Butters filming a segment of Home Plate.

Now he’s showing aspiring gourmets simple ways to make some of his delectable creations in their own kitchens via a series of video podcasts.

Home Plate - a clever play on words that’s also a nod to his former aspirations of becoming a pro ballplayer – is a virtual twist on the cookbook. It’s being carried on iTunes, as well as the restaurant’s website, and features a “behind the lines” look at a professional kitchen. Each episode highlights a specific regional and seasonal ingredient. Butters demonstrates how to cook with the food, while offering helpful kitchen tips and techniques.

For example, for an upcoming podcast that features the aforementioned halibut, Butters revealed that roasting dry spices before using them in any dish is the secret to bringing out their aromas and flavours.

As the camera rolled, Butters went through all the roasting steps on his restaurant stove top starting with whole spices, such as coriander and fennel seeds, before adding ground seasonings, such as cinnamon and smoked paprika. Soon the whole kitchen was richly scented with exotic aromatics – it’s too bad the podcasts won’t be scratch and sniff.

Home Plate was the suggestion of Alison Love of Spatula Media, who, along with her partner David McIlvride, helped Butters put together the first episode earlier this summer, featuring cherries as the signature ingredient. The initial podcast’s format was simple, consisting only of audio and a slideshow.

 It was informative, but lacked that hands-on visual component you get with TV cooking shows. Still, the response was phenomenal.

 “It was just really well received,” said Butters. “We got just tons and tons of hits on it.”

So popular it was, it made the “New and Notable” list from iTunes. That prompted the trio to start filming full video versions.

Really for me it was more difficult to sit there with a microphone and just talk, then to stand in front of a camera and do what I normally do.”

That might seem like an involved, not to mention expensive, undertaking, but McIlvride is an Emmy-winning documentarian and a good friend, who “comes cheap,” laughed Butters.

 And as it turns out, the chef himself is much more at ease in this medium.

“Really for me it was more difficult to sit there with a microphone and just talk, then to stand in front of a camera and do what I normally do,” he said.

Butters is indeed proving to be a natural. The second and third podcasts were shot on a Friday afternoon with the personable chef and his videographer nailing most segments in just one take. This was all while restaurant staff squeezed around them, calmly prepping for the week’s busiest dinner service.

Hopefully it will show what a professional can do to maybe simplify it a little.”

Butters said he hopes viewers will find the video podcasts user friendly and be inspired to try new things in their kitchens.

“To actually have a video of a chef, whether it’s me or whoever, and kind of follow through the process I think makes it less daunting for the at-home cook,” he said. “Hopefully it will show what a professional can do to maybe simplify it a little. And I guess my aim is to give them a behind the scenes look at what I do every day that I just kind of take for granted and show them that it’s not that complicated.”

RauDZ's tomato prawn cocktail.

He used the example of the “prawn cocktail” that he prepared for the second episode, in which the featured ingredients are tomatoes. For the cocktail, he used tomato water, rice vinegar, basil, carrots, celery, gin and prawns.

“Literally it took me minutes and it’s very, very, very easy. It just looks intimidating,” he said. “So hopefully the video casts will kind of demystify things and let people know that cooking is approachable. I’m approachable.”

While cookbooks will always be collectable, said Butters, the Internet is the way of the future in the kitchen.

“You go to our back kitchen there’s like 200 cookbooks back there in the cupboard. But if any of the guys need to look up something, I mean, we just go to the Internet.”

Each Home Plate episode will run about five to six minutes and will cover a variety of ingredients, talk about kitchen tools and include a tip of the day.

The July slideshow episode and the first full videocast featuring tomatoes are currently available at RauDZ.com and on iTunes. Downloads are free.

 

Sumptuous Sips: Recent Wine Reviews

by Julianna Hayes

Road 13 2008 Honest John’s Rosé
My summertime love affair with rosé continues with this Pinot Noir/Syrah combo. Bright pink hue with fresh strawberry extract, raspberry and citrus aromas and flavours. Bright and racy on the palate.
Would I Buy It? Yes
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B+  *Fresh and food friendly
Price: $17
Availability: Winery or VQA shops

Le Vieux Pin 2006 Apogée Merlot
Big meaty aromas with pepper, cedar box, earth, herbal, vanilla, coffee bean and tobacco. Powerful entry of smoky, earthy, coffee bean, meaty, herbal and black fruit flavours. Intense drying tannins that require extended bottle time.
Would I Buy It? Pricey for my pocket
Cellaring Potential: This is an investment purchase – 2-3 years at least
Score: B+  *A definite cellar dweller
Price: $65
Availability: Winery

Tinhorn Creek 2007 Cabernet Franc
Deep dark ruby colour, black cherries, cinnamon spice, some bell pepper, earth, plum and black pepper. Luscious and ripe with moderate tannins.
Would I Buy It? You bet
Cellaring Potential: Drink now or cellar up to three years
Score: B+  *Winery staff refer to it as the “hockey game wine”
Price: $16
Availability: BC LDBS or VQA shops

Laughing Stock 2008 Chardonnay
Brilliant golden colour. Aromas of baked apple, vanilla, peach, orange peel, toasty oak. Luscious bright fruit flavours of peach, golden apple with a touch of oak and creamy butter. Well balanced acidity.
Would I Buy It? Yes
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B+  *Luscious and golden – think lobster and butter
Price: $26
Availability: Winery, specialty wine stores 

Mission Hill 2008 Five Vineyards Pinot Blanc
Awesome value in this classy Blanc with baked apple, honeyed floral notes and pear with a touch of mineral. Bright fresh tree-fruit flavours, lovely acidity. Easy to drink
Would I Buy It? Yes
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B+  *High fresh style at a bargain basement price
Price: $14
Availability: Winery, VQA shops, BC LDBS, private retailers.

Stoneboat 2008 Faux Pas Rosé
Fresh strawberry extract, orange peel, rose petal and mineral. Lovely bright acidity on the palate with flavours of red berries, blood orange, citrus peel, mineral.
Would I Buy It? Yes
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B+  *Gorgeous, zesty summertime rosé at a great price
Price: $16.90
Availability: Winery or online only

Stag’s Hollow 2008 Simply Noir
This very approachable red is a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir and offers up gorgeous aromas of cherries, chocolate, vanilla and spice. Has a lovely soft, supple mouthfeel and an entry that is full of sweet red fruits, accented by some spice and cocoa and no bitter tannins
Would I Buy It? Yes
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B+  *A great beginner’s red wine
Price: $20
Availability: Winery, select retailers

Cassini Cellars 2008 Pinot Gris
Apple skin, citrus peel, pear and a touch of yeast on the nose. There’s a bit of sweetness on the entry that is balanced good acidity. Green apple, lime, pear, lees and mineral character.
Would I Buy It? Yes
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B  *Attractive and easy to drink
Price: $17
Availability: Winery, select retailers

Cassini Cellars 2008 Viognier
Orange, apricot, tropical fruit, floral, honeyed aromas, spice, mineral accents. Luscious, soft, rounded palate with fruit cocktail flavours, orange zest, apple, honey, lemon.
Would I Buy It? Yes
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B+  *Soft, mouth-filling, low acid wine
Price: $18
Availability: Winery, select retailers

Wild Goose 2008 Autumn Gold
This blend of Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Blanc is a perennial favourite among consumers thanks to its big fruit, honey and spicy style. Spiced baked apple aromas, ginger, floral notes with bright orange and pear accents.
Would I Buy It? Yes
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B+  *A supple, spicy easy sipper
Price: $19
Availability: Winery, select retailers

Calona 2008 Artist Series Sovereign Opal
Rose petals, apple skin, sweet nectarine, spice. Entry is somewhat sweet with appropriate freshness on the palate. Bright fruit, apple blossom, spice on the palate.
Would I Buy It? For my wine-shy friends
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B  *An excellent option for newbies to cut their wine teeth on
Price: $14
Availability: VQA shops, BC LDBS, Winery, select retailers

Blue Mountain Brut (NV)
Talk about value in this crisp, dry bubble. Features delightful effervescence and a clean nose of green apple, lime, mineral and just a touch of yeast. Dances on your tongue deliver tree-free freshness, apple skin, lime zest, mineral and snappy finish. Pair with anything!
Would I Buy It? It’s already a household staple
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: A  *Awesome value for bubbly fun
Price: $23.90
Availability: Winery, select private retailers

Stoneboat 2008 Pinot Blanc
Peach, pear, honey, spice, apple, mineral and grapefruit aromas. Bright entry of tree fruit and citrus and a bit of creaminess. Nice minerality on the finish. Perfect for a lovely white fish dish.
Would I Buy It? Definitely
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: A-  *Underrated varietal that really delivers on quality and price
Price: $17
Availability: Winery, select private retailers

Mt. Boucherie 2006 Summit Reserve Syrah
Nice surprise from this under-the-radar West Kelowna winery. A Syrah that packs a punch with blackberry, black cherry, plum, savoury components of soya, pepper and some vanilla and sweet spice. Luscious fruit on the palate, spice and savoury flavours and a hint of black pepper. A finalist in the Lieutenant Governor of B.C. Awards of Excellence in British Columbia Wine.
Would I Buy It? Yes
Cellaring Potential: Drink over the next five years
Score: A-  *Everything you seek in a scrumptious Syrah
Price: $25
Availability: Winery, VQA shops, select private retailers

Blasted Church 2007 Merlot
Black cherry, chocolate, pepper, resin, cedar, black olive, earthy and slight Madeira-like notes. The palate is full and round with intense dark fruit flavours, earthy, spicy and Porty. Shows some aged character. A finalist in the Lieutenant Governor of B.C. Awards of Excellence in British Columbia Wine.
Would I Buy It? Sure
Cellaring Potential: Drink over the next couple years
Score: B+  *No mediocre Merlot here
Price: $25.90
Availability: Check with winery

Summerhill Pyramid Winery 2005 Cipes Gabriel
As far as bubbles go, this is a classic and delicious style. Lean mineral, apple skin, yeast, pear and some lemongrass character. Mousse is fine and long lasting and the bubbles look like tiny strings of pearls. Delightful effervescence.
Would I Buy It? As a special treat
Cellaring Potential: Drink now and for several years
Score: B+ – A rival for expensive French Champagnes
Price: $45
Availability: Winery, private retailers

Sandhill 2008 King Family Vineyard Pinot Gris
Green apple, grassy, lemon-lime, pear, mineral prevail in this lean, mean racy sipper. This is a refreshing option for seafood.
Would I Buy It? Yes
Cellaring Potential: Drink now
Score: B+ – Super racy and fresh, plus great value
Price: $17
Availability: VQA shops, BC LDBs , private retailers

 

Harvest ‘09 Ripe for the Picking

We’re very pleased with how things are looking in the vineyards this year.” – Tinhorn Creek

Tinhorn Creek's demonstration vineyard allows visitors to taste the grapes.

By Julianna Hayes
Okanagan grape growers have itchy fingers. 

After a bit of a slow start to the season and a few unnerving moments courtesy of Mother Nature, vintners in the valley are poised to begin plucking the fruit for the 2009 vintage.

Social media networks such as Twitter have been abuzz in the past couple of weeks with talk of the impending harvest, not just here, but across the wine regions of the Pacific Northwest.

Grapes approaching peak of ripeness.

For me, connecting with them through these channels has been a great way to keep abreast of what’s happening on the ground – the next best thing to being amongst the vines themselves.

By all accounts, it’s looking like a pretty good year, despite the fact that spring was unseasonably cool and damp. June, July and August were all stellar months, making up for lost time and then some.

Last week, several producers responded to my query about the anticipated start of harvest with enthusiasm.

“Wee bit of Muscat knocking on the door. Week or so,” reported Bradley Cooper of Township 7 winery in Naramata. “Then it’s SB (Sauvignon Blanc), Chard (Chardonnay) and some young red vines. Probably all before end of month.”

Vineyards are looking excellent. Due to the warm, dry summer we’re ahead of last year and hope to start harvest early next week…” – White Bear Wines

To have all the fruit in by the close of September would be a formidable and welcome feat. Most vintners are knee and elbow deep in grapes through October – including in the midst of the hectic Okanagan Fall Wine Festival.

Producers from White Bear Wines were equally as optimistic as Cooper. “Vineyards are looking excellent. Due to the warm, dry summer we’re ahead of last year and hope to start harvest early next week.”

At Tinhorn Creek in Oliver, a mid-month harvest start was predicted. “Looks like the 1st to come in will be the Pinot Gris from Diamondback Vineyard on the Black Sage Bench. Very pleased with how things are looking in the vineyards this year.”

Meanwhile, at Stoneboat Vineyards in Oliver, all are hopeful, yet fingers are crossed. “Fantastic year – going to be early, if the weather holds.”

“If the weather holds” is a key statement, for this is a critical period in the valley and growers are hardly home free. They still require substantial sun and warmth to ripen the fruit and raise the brix (sugars) to develop the revered characteristics and achieve adequate levels of alcohol.

And now that the grapes have changed colour and softened – a stage known as “veraison” I wrote about earlier – the crop is particularly vulnerable. No sooner had these Valley vintners raved about the favourable conditions when Environment Canada put out an alert about a potentially severe weather system heading for the Okanagan.

April showers bring May flowers,” said winemaker Dwight Sick of Stag’s Hollow in Okanagan Falls. “September downpours bring possible sour rot!”

Hail, torrential rain and damaging winds were all in the forecast – only predictions of frost or fire could strike more fear.

“April showers bring May flowers,” said winemaker Dwight Sick of Stag’s Hollow in Okanagan Falls. “September downpours bring possible sour rot!”

Hail can pelt and bruise or pierce the fruit’s delicate skin. The tree fruits are more at risk, but grapes can still be damaged. Driving winds of certain force and at the right direction can strip the vines of their heavy bunches, and even uproot them.

When Thursday’s storm hit, it certainly had all the makings of a disaster. Tinhorn Creek and Stoneboat posted regular updates on Twitter as it progressed.

“It just got really dark all of a sudden and the wind is crazy,” reported Tinhorn. “I can’t remember if it has ever rained this hard! There are rivers of water coming down our driveway!”

“Torrential downpour swept across the valley in seconds,” posted Stoneboat. “Flood on the wineshop lawn threatening basement.” But by the time the clouds parted, the worries seemed minimal.

“We’re not too concerned,” Stoneboat wrote to me later. “Where there was hail it could pose a rot/mildew problem (no hail for us). Vines may bolt a bit with the h20.”

“All is good in the SHV vineyards,” said Sick.

Ditto for Tinhorn: “No concerns. It was a heavy downpour but short lived.”

Actually, the casual, even jovial attitude of those posting on Twitter, Facebook and the like – including at the height of the storm – demonstrates that these potential crises are simply par for the course.

Vintners are accustomed to dealing with the moods of Mother Nature and rolling with her punches.

She is what she is.

 

Feast of Fields “The Pick of the Crop”

Gorgeous fresh-picked tomatoes from Honest Food in Cawston.

Feast of Fields demonstrated a coming of age in Okanagan cuisine – a region notoriously reputed for mass-market family restaurant chains and mediocre fare….

By Julianna Hayes
When it comes to cooking with regional and seasonal ingredients, Mark Filatow, head chef of Waterfront Bistro in Kelowna, knows how to take it to the next level.

Embracing the sustainability focus of the Okanagan’s first harvest festival known as Feast of Fields, Filatow prepared butter chicken wrapped in a roti. While it sounds like Middle Eastern fare, it’s every bit local.

Filatow ran down the ingredients as he dished out his aromatic creation for awaiting palates: “We have organic chicken from James’ Soul Food Farm in South East Kelowna, the tomatoes are from just around the corner from there. The garlic is from Stepney Hills Farm north of Armstrong. The wheat for the roti is from Quail’s Farm in Lumby and the chillies are from Oliver. The cream is from Blackwell Dairy (Kamloops) and the mint is from my backyard.”

Chef Mark Filatow of Waterfront Bistro dishes out organic butter chicken.

“These are international flavours made with local ingredients,” explained Filatow. “We’re trying to push the boundaries.”

Several boundaries were pushed Sunday at the inaugural event held at Valentine Farm in Summerland. The Okanagan Feast of Fields is a spin-off to the popular festivals held for a number of years in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island. They all – the Okanagan one included – are fundraisers for FarmFolk/CityFolk, a non-profit society that campaigns to cultivate a local, sustainable food system.

Feast of Fields showcases chefs, vintners, brewers, farmers, and food artisans from the regions in which they are held and celebrates the agricultural harvest and all the bounty that comes with it. Organizer Rhys Pender referred to the Okanagan event as a “25-course, wine-paired, wandering tasting menu.”

Participants got more than got their fill of fresh, local, beautifully-prepared food, wine and beer.

By all accounts, the debut of the festival in the Valley was a resounding success. It was sold out well in advance – a feat not often accomplished in the Okanagan, which can be an exceedingly tough market to peddle any new activity. 

While the $85 ticket might have been steep for some, participants were surely not disappointed. They more than got their fill of fresh, local, beautifully-prepared food, wine and beer.

The festival is all about the harvest and the bounty that comes with it.

In a charming pastoral setting on a picture-perfect day, tents housed chefs and food producers who cooked and assembled their fare on-site. Each offering was paired with a specific wine (and sometimes beer) selected to showcase the food’s flavours.

Filatow’s butter chicken, for example, was served with La Stella 2008 Pinot Grigio – a refreshing, palate cleansing choice that also mirrored some of the food’s characteristics with its hint of minty, herbal flavours. Meanwhile, chorizo sausage from Two Rivers specialty meats was paired with Poplar Grove 2005 Legacy – its bold flavours of current, plum and spice delicious and complimentary with the bit of heat in the meat. 

The event had a relaxed, easy pace and the space and set up meant there were no line ups for food and beverage, a true accomplishment for events of this nature. 

But more importantly, Feast of Fields demonstrated a coming of age in Okanagan cuisine – a region notoriously reputed for mass-market family restaurant chains and mediocre fare. Participating cooks not only dished out yummy grub, they showed real imagination in the use of local ingredients and the preparation and presentation of the food. 

The Okanagan Feast of Fields will surely become an annual event, not to be missed. 

Okanagan Grocery of Kelowna, for example, fired up an outdoor wood oven and baked up savoury and sweet pizzas, including a summer apple, brown butter streusel and caramel pizza and another made with heirloom tomatoes and gouda. 

Chef Geoffrey Couper of Corked Cook Food & Wine Company assembled an eggplant tapenade on crustini with tomatoes, basil pesto and a spritz of a tomato brandy made by Okanagan Spirits. 

Chef Matthew Batey of Mission Hill and his creative concoction.

But arguably the most unusual prep and presentation was the offering by Chef Matthew Batey of Mission Hill winery, who handed out skewers of compressed watermelon, steamed and marinated manila clams and gelatine cubes made from basil. Tasters were at first doubtful and then delighted. 

All told, the event went off without a hitch, which is impressive considering the number of things that can go wrong anytime you combine food, booze and an outdoor venue – particularly one set in a field trodden by tractors and farm animals. 

While Pender had a winning formula to follow, he should be commended to matching, if not surpassing, the successes of the similar events on the coast.  The Okanagan Feast of Fields will surely become an annual event, not to be missed. 

For more information on Feast of Fields, visit http://www.feastoffields.com/. For more details on the FarmFolk/CityFolk Society, go to http://www.farmfolkcityfolk.ca/.