Barbera! Barbera! Where are you?

The Barbera grape was once described as Italy’s Cinderella grape; always hard working, you could always count on it and yet never appreciated for the beauty that it is.

The Barbera grape has all the attributes that we seem to love in a red wine yet doesn’t get the attention of its regional cousin Barolo (Nebbiolo). The colour ranges from deep red in older versions to dark inky purple in young expressions. Fruit flavours include raspberry, blueberry, blackberry and cassis and are often combined with the scent of essential oils like lavender. There is bright acidity which makes it pair well with food and makes you mouthfeel great and remarkably low tannins which means you don’t get the big pucker after a sip. So why is it under-rated?

Both Barbera and Nebbiolo come from Piedmont. Nebbiolo garners global demand and therefore fetches high profits for importers, distributors, wineries and growers. I can sink into a Nebbiolo and be quite content to let it wash over me, however, like a Spa treatment, I can’t afford to do this every day. Rather I can enjoy a world class Barbera for an ‘Everyday’ price every night.

Nebbiolo may get all the press and command huge prices, but if you scratch away the hype you may just find the jewel of the region is Barbera. As an example the Wine Spectator recently published this quote about the 2006 vintage in Piedmonte “Many outstanding reds, but mixed weather made slightly lean Nebbiolos-89/100 points” (http://www.winespectator.com/vintagecharts/search/id/36)  This rating is interesting because Nebbiolo takes at least 2 weeks longer to ripen than Barbera. ‘Mixed weather’ usually, and in this case does, refer to the weather at harvest. Barbera harvest was clear and dry in 2006. If the Nebbiolo harvest was a clear and dry it would have likely scored 94-96 points just like in 2005. The lesson here is that the 2006 Barbera harvest scores 94-96 points yet the wines are a fraction of the price of Nebbiolo. If I was a stock analyst I would be posting 2006 Barbera as a serious buy.

 Nobili Palazzolli 2006 Barbera Piedmonte $14.99 – deep purple in the glass with generous aromas of black and sour cherries, raspberries and blueberries with undertones of savoury spices, lavender and violets.  The palate is robust and full  of fruit with earthy nuances while it finishes fruity and clean leaving the palate feel great.

SCORE: 88-89/100 points

Arduini Barbera D’Asti $14.99 – bright purple to deep red in colour the nose features more raspberries and blueberries with hints of rosemary and sage. The palate is full of ripe juicy flavours with a hint of vanilla. The finish is clean and the mouth feel round and alive.

SCORE: 87-88/100 points

Alfiero Boffa 2003 Barbera D’Asti Collina della Vedova D.O.C. $34.99- Just maybe on of my best wine experiences of this year. Not only does this wine over deliver for the price (not many in this price point can say that), and on the few occasions that I have $30+ to spend on a bottle of wine this would definately by in the top 2-3 of choices. Deep blood red purple in colour with seductive aromas of licorice, chocolate, raspberry, red & black cherries, violets, lavender and all sorts of savoury spices. The palate is a bounty of well balanced ripe fruit flavours and fresh spices, while the acidity is nice and bright. Scrumptous!

SCORE: 92-94/100 points

Join Liquor Plus Duncan and Liquor Plus Douglas for a tasting of the Nobili Palazzolli Barbera on Saturday March 6 between 3 & 5pm.

As you sit down to a burger, pizza or steak this weekend, raise a glass of Barbera and toast to improving the quality of life… one sip at a time.

Down the road from the Ken Forrester Estate and flanked on two sides by ancient mountains and sign stating the Winery of Hope captures your attention and guides you in.

The long road down the winery is flanked by giant blue Agapanthas and all around are these giant oak trees that must be related to the Garry Oak as they looked identical.

In through the front door of the tasting room I am greated by 5 happy faces and from behind me I hear a booming English voice saying “you must be the Canadian.” Wow The Canadian, that is a lot pressure. I turned around to see a fellow about the same age as me with a giant smile with a giant extended hand. Alex Dale.

Alex is a Brit that grew up in the UK but in a wine business household. At the tender age of 16 or 17 he did a harvest in Burgundy and was hooked. He went home and told dad that he found what he wanted to do. With his father’s blessings he packed his bags and went back to Burgundy for the next 1o vintages. I have talked to many who have said that they have learned more about the finesse of winemaking through being in Burgundy for 1 vintage let alone for 11.

The landscape started making small changes in 1989-1991. These culminated with the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in 1991 and for many, including Alex, it was the harbinger of better times ahead and thus a reason to move to South Africa. Alex did just that. After visiting South Africa a few times, he made the commiment to make South Africa his home and moved lock stock and barrel to SA in 1991 and started putting his first winery project together soon there after.

Alex set out about 16 wines from various labels for us to taste through. The idea was to become familiar with a number the projects that he is apart of (4). We tasted through 2 wines from the Winery of Good Hope (Beautiful Game Chenin Blanc and Shiraz), Vinum Chenin & Cabernet Sauvignon, Black Rock Red & White blends, and 9 different wines from the Radford Dale lineup of premium wines. Each were very very good in their own right. I particularly loved the Black Rock blends and the Radford Dale Gravity and Pinot Noir, however 1 brand in particular stood out. Little did I know that I had stumbled upon a heart that was the size of the entire country of South Africa and a personality completely adverse to working to the rules of a committee.

Picture for a moment a society that used people like we use kitchen appliances. Kitchen appliances are simply tools to make our lives a little easier. we simply plug them in and they work. I know that I am over simplifying but in many that is how the ‘Black’ & ‘Coloured’ population were treated under apartheid. Opportunities and education were every limited and even if one got an education, making a better life for oneself, if they were black or coloured, was almost impossible.

Tensions between White South Africans and Black South Africans had been at a boiling point for a long long time. I am certain that in 1991-1994 if you were to predict what the future would hold for South Africa, you would have predicted bloodshed and ‘ethnic cleansing’. Nelson Mandela and the ANC came to power in 1994 and somehow were able to diffuse the militant or vigilante movements in South Africa and provide a modicum of ’security’ that fostered the nation that we see today.

Once fears of reprisals and mob rule were settled enough, investment started to roll in, but Mandela also recognized that long term economic growth and opportunities for the formerly oppressed would be limited if education was not provided. Government funded programs such as Black Empowerment Programs were fostered. These programs served to provide trades and other skilled employment opportunities for the Black and Coloured community.

Let me step aside here for a moment and express the fact that in 2010 South Africa is still a largely agricultural and rural society. Certainly urbanization is happening at faster rate than in the past but it will be a while before the economy is driven through urban industrial initiatives. What this means is that the vast majority of the previously disenfranchised were living in the countryside.

From the time that the Dutch East India Company first ‘colonized’ the Western Cape of Africa, agriculture was integral to its identity. Here farmers are specialists, but there wine production or grape growing is only one part of what the farm does, hence instead of referring to wineries and vineyards, the term used is Wine Farm. It was very common for the landowners to house their farmhands and their immediate families in much the same way the Oak Bay Beach Hotel provided boarding for their staff way back when.

In 1994 I am certain that there was a great deal of ‘fear’ amongst the farm owners and it would have been their first inclination to secure their property and families from the potential of marauding bands of machete wielding youth by tossing everyone off the farms. I am not clear how this instinct was diverted but one of the many programs set up was for the farmers to receive subsidies to allow them to continue to house their workers. As time went on, programs expanded their reach to include providing education, daycare and recreational facilities right on the farm. I am still amazed at how many of the wine farms have developed their own little extended families. I am humbled by the fact that it is so common that the wine farms themselves don’t mention it as an unique distinction from wineries in almost all other places in the world.

I wish you all could have met Alex Dale and been there at the tasting that I enjoyed. I should have turned on the video camera and just let it roll as the conversation was incredibly engaging… well except for when he tested my palate by asking me to identify the grapes in the Black Rock blends; this I failed miserably. One of the many directions the conversation went was inspired by a brand called the Land of Hope.

I was very intrigued by the label as it featured a tree with words written through it. There are two wines in the line up – a Chenin Blanc and a Cabernet Sauvignon. The first I tried was the Chenin Blanc. The nose was a rich bowl of fresh melons, some ruby grapefruit slices and gooseberries all with freshly rasped lime zest over top. The palate carried the aromas through but had the added bonus of a rich texture without masking the fresh and crisp acidity. My mouth was ‘alive with possibilities’ as more and more flavours leaped and danced on my palate as I let the wine just sit there. I kept on coming back to the wine and was finding more and more nuances.

I then tried the Cabernet Sauvignon. As this was my first day touring wineries in South Africa I was fully expecting the burnt rubber South African-ness that pervades many of the lower end South African wines. Slap my mouth I was wrong again. The aromas didn’t leap out of the glass, they effortlessly glided out of the glass like a song by Macie Gray kind of grips you with its rich textures and easy movements. The nose was rich in ripe red berries and black currants with a touch of freshly ground espresso and dark chocolate. The palate was a swarthy as a curvaceous bohemian beauty; opulent flavours of cassis, crushed raspberry and currants glided across the palate and were met with a gentle embrace of mocha, black pepper and spice on the finish. It seemed like I had spent at least 30 minutes just diving into the wine, yet it was only about 1 minute.

As you know I believe that a glass of wine should tell the story of the winery, its culture and the people behind it. Both of these wines did just that. There was a boldness of character that spoke to Alex and his drive. There is a richness of flavour that speaks to rich landscapes and culture of the winery and its people and there was a fine and elegant finish that spoke to the idea of the Land of Hope. I asked the natural question “why Land of Hope.” I had my ideas as to what the answers would be, but yet again I was in for a surprise.

As I mentioned off the top Alex doesn’t believe in action through committees and as a result he will avoid anything that requires participation in a committee. One of the main empowerment and educational programs subsidized through the National Government was knocking at Alex’s door. In fact an international organization was going to publish some of the success stories of the empowerment programs, but to be included the winery had to belong to the organization and be audited by the committee. The purpose may be golden but the process was abhorrent to Alex. So what did he do? He went one step further. Without the subsidies offered by government and without belonging to a committee he established his own empowerment and education program. One of the many issues Alex has of committees is that a lot of the money raised for the purpose goes to the operation of the committee. Alex started the Land of Hope Educational Trust (http://www.landofhope.co.za/)  where 100% of the funds goes to educational and empowerment of not only the employees of The Winery of Good Hope, but also the employees extended families including cousins, aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces. The trust is so effective that the international organization ranked it better at ‘walking the talk’ than the committee run programs. Well done Alex!

I was impressed to my core with the talent and energy of Alex Dale. I was engaged and won over by the quality and depth of the wines. We will definitely see the Radford Dale ‘Freedom’ Pinot Noir (one of the best that I tasted on the whole trip) and perhaps the Black Rock wines, but come hell or high water we will get behind the Land of Hope wines. They speak to their story eloquently and provide exceptional quality. They will likley be priced in the $30 range, but in my opinion offer an experience and soul far greater than the price of the bottle and I hope that you will purchase and enjoy at least a bottle or two whence they arrive.

Thank you Alex for improving the quality of my life… one sip at a time!

Next up one of the most storied and sought after South African wineries – Rustenberg.

Cheers

Rod

Following my tasting with David Trafford at the de Trafford winery I was on my way to the Ken Forrester Winery. You may indeed recognize the name as some of Ken’s wines have been on the market here in the past.

I was greatly looking forward to tasting his wines as Ken is likely the world’s biggest booster of Chenin Blanc, and certainly South Africa’s Chenin Blanc specialist.

To really understand how important Ken is to Chenin Blanc in South Africa, you first have to understand how important Chenin Blanc is to South Africa’s wine industry.

Chenin Blanc is either the most planted or second most planted white grape in South Africa depending on who you talk to. South Africans drink more whites wines than red (conversely more red wine than white is exported) and Chenin Blanc shares top spot with Sauvignon Blanc(I think that these two stats alone show us how isolated from the South African wine scene that we have become). Chenin Blanc is considered the daily white wine much like we would treat Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay, so you can imagine how competitive and demanding the local South African market is for Chenin Blanc. So for Ken Forrester to become a specialist in developing Chenin Blanc is gutsy and requires the ability to thrive under a lot of scrutiny. My guess is that it would be like playing goal for the Montreal Canadiens.

Upon arriving it was apparent that Ken not only has a huge heart but a bigger than life personality. This was the first wine farm that I came across that provided housing for the families of its workers, schooling for its workers kids and a multitude of recreational opportunities.

I was greeted by AnthonyVan Schalkwyk the Brand Manager for the winery and guy who is responsible for the wineries representation in Canada and the US. This guy is full of energy! Like a guy with a lot on his plate and itching to tell the story we sat down and got right at it.

Ken has 3 levels to his wines – Petit (entry or ‘lifestyle’ level), Ken Forrester (mid-level) and a higher tier that is only made in vintages that warrant. Each level features a Chenin Blanc in addition to other varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and some very intriguing red and white blends.

Each of the wines showed style and class and their levels were loosely based on the age of the vines. For example the Petit level Chenin Blanc was sourced from 14 year old vines, while the Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc was sourced from 30 year old Bush Vines. After gaining this knowledge I had to pause.

Consider that in total we have 8 different Chenin Blanc’s from around the world through which we can gain an understanding of this incredible diverse grape. 8 is a pretty weak number as I doubt that much thought has gone into the the Liquor Board’s consideration of how these 8 represent to grape. Mind you there are some truly inspiring examples a couple of which are local (Road 13 Chenin Blanc – sold out; and the Quail’s Gate Chenin Blanc). Yet Ken has invested in this varietal to the point of caring for 30 year old vines that yield tiny amounts of grapes each year. How is it this story has never reached us?

Time was getting short so after running through the tasting which included the FMC and the Gypsy (these wines are sinful, curvaceous, and encourage you to daydream about days spent reading great literature and listening to great music from the deck of Caribbean/Amalfi Coast/Provence/Cowichan Lake Estate while considering the quality of life of others- approx. $60/bottle), we ran down the road to the wineries restaurant called 96 Winery Road. I grabbed the bottle of the Gypsy, named after the energy and joie de vie of Ken’s wife, as I had to come back to this wine no matter what was on the menu.

At this point in time I had been in South Africa for about 24 hours and I was filled with questions. Political, cultural, economic, gastronomic, environmental so I gabbed on with Anthony who was very patient and answered everything quite thoroughly. The menus arrived and I desperately wanted something that was truly South African. Turns out that Ken was a Chef in Johannesburg and had his own restaurant in which he created a dish that is famous in South Africa – Duck & Cherry Pie. I settled on this as it promised to be tremendous.

The conversation quickly turned to the challenges of our market. Why had South African wines been neglected for so long? How is it possible that there could on be 30 offerings from a country that producer 3% of the worlds wine? All very good questions to which I answered with the key difference between the monopoly (LDB) system and the private system. The LDB waits for the world to come and visit them thus filtering out any who could not afford to make the trip, whereas the private sector, to constantly improve the quality of their customers lives must be on the look out foir items that represent better value. The simple fact is that the LDB is my competition and our competitive advantage is our agility. Anthony seemed to quickly grasp this concept like most suppliers do; with an element of surprise- “I thought that the LDB controlled everything?” “My agent tells me that our business has declined because the LDB has chosen to delist wines. Never have I been made aware of the private sector.” I love this part of the conversation.

All the while we were sipping on a wine that would help to form my ideas about how to express what Chenin Blanc is. We were tasting the 2003 Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc. That’s right the 2003. If you remember from the last blog I had tasted a 2001 and now I was having the 2003 that was sourced from 30-50 year old bush vines with a yield of less than 5 tons/hectare (I will get into this in another blog). The wine was lush and yet incredibly fresh on the palate. The nose had lively aromas of orange blossom and jasmine flowers with some lemon zest and tropical stone fruit (pretty amazing nose for a white wine that was now 7 vintages old), while the palate was long and seductive. I let the wine caress my palate as with every additional second more character seemed to pop out; with every additional sip I took the story that the wine was telling me got better and more colourful. I said to “Anthony everyone should taste this wine to understand how age can benefit a wine; how the wine will tell a story if you let it.” With that our main courses arrived.

The Duck & Cherry Pie arrived in two stages. the first was the light puff pastry that was placed on my plate following by a steaming cast iron skillet of the Duck & Cherry filling. Ken developed this recipe himself and it is a winner, provided you like Duck Confit and I love Duck Confit. The rich savoury flavours of the duck are enhanced by the delicate sweetness of black cherries. It is a rich dish but I, like the food trooper I am, powered through every last bite.

I believe that what made the whole meal, and what is in fact an integral part of the whole meal was the wine. We enjoyed a bottle of the 2005 Ken Forrester Gypsy which is a blend of Syrah (80%) and Grenache (20%). The nose on this wine is absolutely tremendous. I am telling you that if you lined up this wine with other wines from the Cote Rotie, or Crozes Hermitage of the Northern Rhone Valley, I suspect that most people would not peg the Gypsy as being South African. The nose is filled with black fruits and smoked meats that have been gently rubbed with rosemary, sage and oregano. The palate is deep, rich and languid. It massages the palate and brings out deep character and layers of flavours that are uncompromising as they are delicious. Put the Gypsy and the Duck & Cherry Pie together and you get an amazing food-gasm that you will remember.

Time was running late… of course. We had to wrap up our engaging conversation over a lovely dessert wine called Noble T which is named after Ken’s wife Theresa. This is opulently flavoured late Harvest Chenin Blanc (quite fitting) that has been boytritis affected which is referred to as Noble Rot.

The wine, although sweet with flavours of honey and apricots, is delicate on the palate as the fresh acidity keeps it from being syrupy or cloying.

If time is the awareness of change, then already, barely one day into my trip, I felt that I had been gone for 1 year. My assumptions about South Africa, South African wines and the people of South Africa were exploding all around me and I still had a week to go.

We shook hands and promised to keep in touch and just like that I was on my way to my next experience – The Winery of Good Hope.

Following my stop at Delheim was going up the valley between Mount Fleur and Mt. Hedelberg was de Trafford (www.detrafford.co.za). When I say up the valley I mean to the end of the road through the valley. As my guide Gerrit said “once you have doubted yourself 4 times you are getting close.”

It may have been a long trip through the winding road of this beautiful valley but in the end it was well worth it. We were greeted by the farm dog  who is a little Jack Russel that was very inquisitive about our arrival. He was kind enough to announce our arrival.

By now the Sun was almost directly overhead and the temp was starting to heat outside. Out of these giant barn doors came David Trafford. David is a soft spoken man that has a smile that immediately eliminates any concept of smuggness.

The winery is not large and has essentially been efficiently squeezed into the original barn on the property. David went on to describe the history of the winery and vineyards which his family purchased in 1976 (In a separate blog I will go over the South African quota system that existed until 1991; in essence the industry was run by a large co-operative that put quotas on the tonnage produced per grape type and determined what could be grown where). It was suggested to David and his father that the soils and climate would be great for Bordeaux & Rhone reds as well as whites like Chenin Blanc. Instead of adhereing to the quota system they decided to wait 18 years until the dissolution of the quota system in 1991 to plant a commercial vineyard and honed their craft on a small ‘friends and family’ vineyard.

David and his father made a number of wines over the years and tested them on family and friends. What came from this was the fact that Chenin Blanc would be great coming from this part of the Stellenbosch appellation, as would Mediterranean reds. These would become their defining wines and lead David to abandon his career in architecture and pursue winemaking.

He is a very inquisitive fellow and is not about to let an assumption stand until it is proven. A case in point is the assumption that the types of grapes that will do well in South Africa are limited to red varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Grenache, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec, or white varieties like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon. This again was part of the hangover of the Co-Op imposed quota system. To David the Western Cape has a Mediterranean climate with a multitudede of soil types which begs the question “Why not try other varieties like those found in Portugal, Spain, Italy, and other less famous regions of France?” Go for it David!

It takes a number of years to import vine stock as the South African government is very nervous about interfering with the natural vegetation of the Western Cape (there are more unique species of plants in the Western Cape than there is in all of the Northern Hemishpere). Over the last 4 years David has planted a number of the Port varieties and has now started to blend them into some of his red wines.

As I sat down to taste David mentioned that the expression of Chenin Blanc that he believes best defines the vineyards needs natural fermentation (I will come back to natural fermentation as this will be continuing theme in all regions over my whole trip) in oak barrels and oak barrel aging thereafter. I must admit I was a little apprehensive about all the oak as the last time that I had tasted oak aged Chenin Blanc from South Africa was about 5 years ago when I received some samples to my importing company. The samples were awful. With those as my reference point I believed that Chenin should not have any barrel treatment. If there is a constant  about wines it is the fact that as soon as you assume some knowledge, there is something out there that will completely destroy the assumption.

The first wine that I tasted was the de Trafford 2008 Chenin Blanc. As I put my nose to it I was transported to a restaurant with a view of the Olympic Mountains and the water on a bright sunny summer day as evening was descending. The nose was elegant, refreshing and engaging but in a casual kind of way. Soft tones of honeydew melon about 2 weeks before it is perfectly ripe to eat mix with hints of freshing rasped lime and lemon zest. If the nose seems a little subdued it was. It was a soft opening for an incredibly expressive and lively palate.

On the palate the wine seemed to jump and play as 10 year would on a spring day, yet there was an underlying confidence that showed itself in an elegant way. You could just tell that although young, the story would grow as time went by… I marked a number of check marks in my note book.

The second wine was the 2009 Chenin Blanc. The nose was a touch more citrusy and had zesty floral notes like jasmine or orange blossom after a spring rain. Once again the palate was far more expressive than was the nose. It was almost as if the nose was like an opening act for Cirque de Soleil show. The citrus was far more expressive and instead of melon I was getting more grapefruit and nectarine flavours. The finish was clean, crisp, and left you wanting a second glass for sure.

The last of the Chenin Blancs was the 2001. Yup 2001. I was very intrigued as we in B.C., and from what I understand in South Africa to, don’t consider aged white wine to be a value. We assume that the newer or fresher it is the better (more on this after my tasting withe Ken Forrester and the Chenin Blanc Association).

The nose held more nutty flavours like I expected, but there was still a lot of freshness on the nose. The fresh citrus tones had not left, in fact in some ways they became more expressive. In addition to the nutty and citrus elements, more tropical flowers and fruits were shinning through. Overall the nose on the 2001 was far more expressive than the 2009 or the 2008. Who woulda thunk it.

The palate was dreamy. All the flavours had integrated over time and were working in concert to tell a little more of the story of de Trafford and Chenin Blanc. What was new on the palate was a spicy character that was not there before. It had emerged like a signal of maturity and it was goooood!

I have to say that I was totally surprised by what I encountered. The oak treatment served to uplift the wines and not over shadow them. All the oak seemed to have done was to add a texture to the wines that provided more elegance along with the fresh flavours.

The were all beautiful. The perspective that this tasting had now given me was like the difference between a casual bistro and an elegant but easy going restaurant. I was now starting to form some ideas on what the real nature of Chenin Blanc is. I am so excited.

The tasting continued for 7 more wines, most of whom were blends and included some of the Port varieties that I mentioned. All were delicious and very intriguing but my mind was starting to race about the jewel that was South Africa. If the rest of the wineries that I was about to visit were as good as the first two I would be left with some very hard decisions. I could easily bring back hundreds of wines and be very confident in standing behind each and every one of them.

Before we leave de Trafford there are two gentle nuances that will forever make this winery stand out in my mind. The first is the packaging. Each wine is dressed in a painting that was done by David’s wife. Each showed incredible elegance and grace as do the wines. She prefers to work with acrylics, but her oil works were filled with depth and light together which I think perfectly describes the wines.

The second thing was the basket press. As you walk in there is a large basket press. That in and of itself is not that surprising as most wineries still have the old manual basket presses that they used in years past kicking around to show the history of the winery. I had asked about the press because it was in the middle of the working winery and David informed me that the basket press was the only press they use for all of their wines. I am sure that my mouth dropped. I know that many wineries still use basket presses for some of their wines and in many cases these wines a labelled as such and are slightly more expensive, but I don’t recall any winery that still uses a basket press for all of his wines.

In a way that can give a glimpse to this soft spoken, warm and purposeful man, he says “it’s not that I believe there is a technical reason for choosing a basket over newer more techno presses, it is that I don’t believe that spending thousands of dollars on new technology will bring out more of the character of the place, the grapes, and our family.” With that it was time to head down the road to meet with and have lunch with Ken Forrester  wines.

I left off last time waking in a start to get ready as I had slept late due to jet lag. After hurrying out the door we were on our way just outside of Stellenbosch to the Delheim Winery (http://www.delheim.com/). But before I start with my description of the Delheim Estate I have to fast forward to my dinner engagement with and inspiring young Zulu man by the name of Mtome Mbotha.

Mtome is a representative of the Wines of South Africa (WOSA) that have arranged for my itinerary and accommodation while in South Africa.

We met at the River Manor (http://www.rivermanorguesthouse.co.za/) as I was returning from my day. He was carefree it seemed as he relaxed on the patio at the River Manor. We strolled over to the Cafe Dijon (http://www.cafedijon.co.za/flash.html) and enjoyed a little small talk on the way.

We sat down and immediately got engaged in a conversation. The conversation flowed so nicely that we had to ask the server to comeback multiple times as we didn’t stop talking to look at the menu.

Mtome’s life story is not only engaging but the passion and enthusiasm with which he tells is infectious. He tells his story as if it has only just begun. I have to say that although I have only been here for a couple of days, and am by no means an expert, that his enthusiasm for the way things will be seems to be prevalent amongst the people that I have met in South Africa. What makes this so powerful is that fact that at the same moment the country is experiencing 25% – 40% unemployment. Consider for a moment how dour and depressing we would likely be if we in Canada were experiencing that level of unemployment. The prevailing perspective is that the current rate of unemployment is a blip and that the country will survive and be stronger. To use Mtome’s words “South Africa is alive with possibilities.” This feeling seemed to capture my impressions of my first day and the attitudes of the winemakers that I met.

As you know in coming here my expectation was to discover what makes the South African wine category so dynamic in countries like the UK, Sweden, Germany etc and not in B.C. The answer is really in selection. What we have in B.C. at present can’t possibly represent the quality or the selection available in South Africa. With this in mind I am taking the long term view in developing the category. This means there will likely be a number of orders over time the first of which will hopefully arrive in our Spring, thus, first things first lets find the best options for summer sipper style wines- crisp, clean, citrussy or tropical flavours in white wine, or strawberry and cherry flavours in Rose- for South Africa this likely means Chenin Blanc & Sauvignon Blanc in whites and Roses made from Pinotage or Shiraz. Now I am ready to go. 

We arrived at Delheim Estate shortly after 9:30am local time (10 hours ahead of Victoria) and were met by the delightful and disarming Nora Theil. I say disarming as no matter how many times I travel to meet with wineries, I always approach the first winery just a little nervously. This trip it was especially true as my experience with South African wines  had been limited and not always good. As a result I greatly appreciated Nora’s calm demeanor.

She briefly described the wineries history which dates back to the late 1600’s and her families involvement from the 60’s on. She noted from the profile that preceded me that I was interested in Chenin Blanc so not only was this the first wine I was to taste in South Africa it would be the first of many Chenin.

The Chenin was meant to be blended into another wine in the Delheim range, but after tasting the blend, I was more impressed by the straight Chenin Blanc. It is amazing how many wines over the last year that have turned out to be some of the most popular started out either as the winemakers pet project or as a “mistake and now what do we do with it?” I think of the Rose from St. Hubertus from last summer and the Dolcetto Lagrein from Heartland in Australia as good examples of this. We will definitely be seeing this wine in our market. The label will change as what Nora had placed on the label was simply what they had hanging around but it will arrive in the $13-$15 range an in some quantity.

The second wine out of the gate was the other wine that could be definitive for South Africa. Much like Shiraz is to Australia and Carmenere is to Chile, Pinotage could be to South Africa. I think the only thing holding Pinotage back is that the expressions from South Africa that we have had in B.C. have been, well, crap! They have been really gamy and awkward with a strong sense of burnt rubber and mesquite smoke.

I firmly believe that peoples appreciations for different flavours change in steps and not leaps. Consider that Australian Shiraz replaced California Cabernet as the most popular red wine, and Argentine Malbec is creeping up on Aussie Shiraz to become the most popular. I believe that Aussie Shiraz has all the power and juiciness of a California Cab in the late 90’s but with just enough of a difference for it to be interesting and engaging. The same is true for Argentine Malbec vs Aussie Shiraz – similar juicy fruit and structure, but with different but interesting flavours. For Pinotage, to replace Argentine Malbec or Aussie Shiraz, considering the current selection on B.C’s shelves, it would take a giant step. I do see it happening someday, but I believe that Primitivo from Southern Italy and Carmenere from Chile will be the steps before Pinotage. Let’s see if this assumption will be trashed as you know that to assume makes an ass out of you and me… I am no stranger to being an ass.

With these thoughts racing through my head Nora introduced the second wine of the tasting; Delheim 2009 Pinotage Rose. Oh god what if it is as awkward and nasty as the majority of the other Pinotages I had tasted? What’s it going to do kill me? Okay let’s dive in.

The nose was filled with ripe strawberries much like a French or BC rose made with Syrah, Grenache or Gamay Noir. Very nice. The texture was that crispness you get when you bite into a fresh strawberry picked right off the farm. The flavours were alive and bright and were like a bowl of fresh strawberries muddled with some raspberries, 3 cranberries and two blackberries that had been lightly sprinkled with fresh ground black pepper. I could immediately see sitting on a patio in a restaurant on Government, Wharf or Robson Street and really enjoying this with some light summer cuisine, even some fresh salmon or trout and a dollop of local goat cheese. Oops… have I gone to far? Back to South Africa… I am pretty sure that you will see this wine on the shelves…. duh!

Nora and I engaged in conversation about all manner of things as I was all of a sudden a sponge. If the first wines that I had tasted on my tour were any indication, the rest of the tour was going to be filled with a tremendous number of wonderful discoveries.

I could have chatted with Nora for sometime but I was already late for my next appointment and she was preparing for her trip later in the week to Holland, the UK and Germany.

Gerrit, my extremely knowledgeable, engaging and well travelled navigator was ready to go to our next stop- de Trafford.

I am going to start this entry in London’s Heathrow airport as my experience of South Africa, will start the moment I get on the South African Airways plane bound for Cape Town.

After 8 hours of waiting in London, following a tragic 9 hour flight to London all I wanted was to get in my seat, close my eyes and feel a little refreshed. My desires were quickly squelched when myself and all the passengers were informed that dinner would be served in 1 hour after take off… I had to stay awake for dinner as every light was on.

If the hospitality of SAA was any indication, I was in for a great trip. First came the drinks cart of which I ordered a glass of bubbly if they had it (Business Class got Moet… I did not). The flight attendant then asked me if I was expecting to have dinner. A puzzled look crossed me face as if to say “duh, that is why I am still awake.” She then said “I understand why you have asked for the bubbly as a palate cleanser, but would you like something to go with the meal?” That is a question I have never been asked before on any airline. Wow I thought.  “Good catch, what is for dinner?”  I asked assuming that it was a choice between rubber and mush. “Lamb with a mint sauce, potatoes and carrots, or chicken in a red curry sauce.” Hmm, that was more than I expected so I also ordered a glass of the Man Vintners Shiraz.

You may remember an earlier post when I made clear my excitement for this trip came from a sense of the unknown. I had tasted South African wines before, but I felt that what I had tasted could in no way be a true representation of an industry that is responsible for 3% of the world’s total wine production. That is a lot of wine. There had to be more, and this with a couple of broad assumptions is all that armed me as I twisted the cap on the Swartland Cuvee Brut Extra Dry.

My god my hopes have been dashed against the beautiful shores of Cape Town. What a trajedy this wine was. It tasted like the worst of the South African wines that I had tasted in the past. If this was the harbinger of things to come I was in store for a very long week of fake smiles and small talk.

Handing the wine back to the attendant as she served my lamb I needed something to cleanse my palate. Anything would do. I hesitantly opened the Man vintners and poured it into my glass.

There is something about South African wines that makes them stand out. The kind of thing that anyone, once introduced to it, would be able to pick out in a heart beat. Many people describe this as licorice or beet root, I describe this as mesquite smoke. Anyway you describe it you have to like to enjoy South African wines. All of the wines that I have tasted in the past had this characteristic. Some more, some less, but all had it. It is a very nice component if it doesn’t overshadow the rest of the wine and works as an integral part of the grander orchestra.

With this in the back of my head I brought the Man Vintners to my lips.

You know it was pretty good. Lots of ripe black fruits flavours that I expect out of Shiraz, some underlying spice and some of the smokey flavour that seemed to work in this wine as it was checked and seemed to share the spotlight with the other flavours. After this experience I am now ready for South Africa.

At about 11am local time (1am Victoria time) we landed and I was collected by a very nice guy by the name of Jaat (Yaat). In the space of 25 mins from the airport to my accommodations for the first couple of nights, I got some real insight to where South Africa was.

Did you know that South Africa has 25-40% unemployment depending on who you talk to. Can you imagine that. ¼ to ½ of the population unemployed? As it turns out this has translated into a number of ‘creative’ jobs for people like Car Guards. A Car Guard is someone who stands on the street and presumably insures that you car does not get stolen. As I now understand, Stellenbosch has almost no crime of any sort, so the Car Guards simply greet you when you park and ask for money when you leave. I guess this is Stellenboschs version of street side window cleaners.

The other thing that the massive unemployment has lead to is hand harvesting. Let’s face it why employ 1 machine harvester that could damage the grapes when you can employ harvesters that are doing it the old fashioned way.

After our 25 minute drive I was dropped at the River Manor (www.rivermanor.co.za) which is a beautiful little guest house that was built in the 1800’s. See pictures attached.

Upon check in I was informed by the very pleasant and well meaning desk manager that check-in was not until 3pm (4 hours hence). My crest had fallen. After a total of 35 hours of travel either sitting up right or walking around Heathrow, I desperately needed a clean flat bed. I told the desk manager my plight and she endeavoured to get the room ready. In the meantime I sat in the open air courtyard and started to read many of the pamphlets that were left for m upon check in.

Did you know that from the period immediately following Apartheid to now no other wine region in the world has invested more into their industry? It seems that the response to the first wines released to the world following the establishment of democracy (that is how that time is referred to here) was less than encouraging. Consider for a moment that for an entire generation wines were made for only a population of 10million white South Africans. That will insure that the wines will not be ‘international’ in style, but very localized and thus working with a lot of the local cuisine. Many of the wines were made to go with ‘braai’ which is an Afrikaans word for Barbeque. They became very rustic, gamey, and not very appealing unless you were going down to the Keg or the White Spot for a nice haunch of Springbok or Guinea Fowl.

To make a long story longer the South African wine industry sent its viticulturalists and wine makers around the world to see what and how other regions were making wine. The result is that today the South African wine industry is one of the most advanced on the planet. Let’s just see if advanced means better wines…

After an hour or so of reading my room was finally ready. The temperature had reached 33C and I felt that I was going to pass out at any moment, so I flopped onto the bed and proceeded to pass out for 3 hours.

Upon awaking I had a shower, grabbed my camera and set out on foot to discover Stellenbosch. What I found is one of the most beautiful and quaint towns that I have ever visited. Many of the buildings were originally constructed in the Dutch Style in the late 1600’s and early 1700’s. These buildings are either stark white or saffron yellow that when contrasted with the vibrantly blue sky is a sight to behold.

After walking about town for an hour I felt it was time for a beer so I sat down in one of the may open air street side bistro’s and had my first ever Namibian Lager called Windhoek (Vint-hook).

It may have been the heat, or it could have been the residual exhaustion that was still lurking inside me, but that was one of the best beers that I have tasted. Very fresh and clean with an emphasis on hops like most European beers that we have in market.

To go with my beer at Beads restaurant I had a plate of rolled goat cheese. This consisted of 6 small rounds of locally made goat cheese encrusted with fresh ground black pepper, seasame seed, and local cilantro. Accompanying the goat cheese was local bitter lettuce and sun dried tomatoes. This was exactly what the doctor ordered. Real food with a real local bent.

After I finished the beer and the cheese plate I went back to my room to refresh for dinner which was to be at the very highly touted Cape Town Fish Market.

I arrived at the restaurant looking for a classic South African seafood experience. What I found was a bad version of a concept restaurant that was intent on sitting me down, feeding me, and getting me out as soon as possible. I had their ‘specialty’ seafood platter which had both over cooked prawns and undercooked crab cakes. Needless to say I was happy to oblige them and asked for the bill and returned back to my room.

By that time it was around 11pm local time and I was feeling pretty tired, so I fell into bed in the hopes that I would sleep right through until my driver was to collect me the next morning… only in my dreams.

I was wide awake at around 2am and proceeded to get updated on the Canucks game against Pittsburgh, what happened in the NFL playoff games, and play around with the video function on this computer and my camera. At about 4 I climbed back into bed with the idea that my alarm would wake me in time for breakfast. Wrong! I slept right through until the phone rang at 5 to 9am. My first winery visit was to be at Delhem Estates at 9am. I jumped into the shower had a quick rinse and without a morsel for breakfast or a hint of caffeine we raced off to Delhem and that is where I will start the next post. Cheers

Today is the day that I embark and the next leg of my personal and professional journey through the world of wine. Today is the day that I head off to South Africa.

I can honestly tell you that I am very excited. I am even looking forward to the 30 hour trek to get there.

My past trips have  been to different parts of places that I had been to before so this one holds just a little more ‘exoticness’ for me.

I received the itinerary for the trip today and over the course of 8 days I will have the good fortune of visiting 25 different wineries and have a Chenin Blanc only tasting. I am so looking forward to that.

I think part of my excitment lies in the fact that the South African category is currently pretty dull. We have seen the same players in it for the last 20 years and there is only about 30 skus in the whole category. It can’t be that the best of what South Africa’s wine country has to offer is brilliantly represented in the 30 or skus that are currently here.

As I embark upon this trip I have to admit that I am starting off with a few assumptions. Come on I am human after all.

My first assumption is premised on my recent experiences in tasting South African wines. Over the last few years I have tasted a number of expresssions and I have to say the whites have impressed me the most. Specifically the Chenin Blancs and Sauvignon Blancs. So incredibly expressive and alive that they seem to jump out of the glass.  The reds on the other hand have all tended to feature a dominant gamey nose and flavour. One that in the right balance is very intriguing, but when it over powers the fruit and other characters of the wine is a little off putting. Assumption number 1: I expect to come back with buys that feature more whites than reds.

Before I went to Chile a couple of years ago I remember thinking that the most engaing wines I was going to taste were Casablanca Pinot Noirs and Sauvignon Blancs. The reality was I came back gushing about Carmenere and being completely taken by surprise by the ’sheer awesomeness’ (to steal a phrase from Kung Fu Panda) of the Chardonnays. I found a ton of world class Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, but the Pinot Noirs for the price left me wonting. I am all a tingle about what surprises are in store over the next two weeks.

Did you know that South Africa is the 7th biggest producer of wines in the world and is responsible for 3% of the worlds total wine production. In the UK, Sweden and Finland, where Australian wines once reigned as King, South African wines have assumed the throne. In contrast, here in Canada and in the United States South African wines haven’t gotten any traction. I am not sure of why, but I suspect that we here don’t have a clear identity for South African wines. Let’s face it if I say South Africa you immediately think of Lions, Giraffes, and Wilderbeast. That image is wild and savage and doesn’t really go well with our preception of wine and food. This leads to Assumption Number 2: South African wines have not found their voice.

With all this in mind and the fresh memories of hugs from Chloe, the warm embrace and whispering words from Grace, and the supple kiss of my soulmate and wife Angela, I head off on my newest adventure in hopes that I find some killer Chenin Blanc, well balanced and delicious reds, the words to convey the voice of South African wines, and, perhaps most importantly, the experience and products that serve to improve the quality of life one sip at a time.

The next blog will be two days hence, thereafter, internet willing, I expect to blog each day of my adventure. As always let me know your thoughts and queries.

Cheers

Rod

Thanks all for you your comments and questions to askrod@liquorplus.ca.

 I feel that you can sense the character of the people who make wine in the wine itself;  the wine becomes their voice.

A good example of this is the Canforrales 2008 Tempranillo Classico.

Last January I had the great fortune of travelling to Spain.  My purpose was to buy wines that exceeded the offerings currently available.  About half way through the trip (that means about 175 wines in) we were in the Rioja. We toured one of most incredible wineries I have seen in my 20 years in the business. Cavern after Cavern of barrels all resting to the sound of soothing music. In the slightly damp air was the wonderful scent of wine.  I was salivating in anticipation of the tasting.

The winery has a long and colourful history.  It was started by a boy of 15 out of the basket on the front of his bike.  He would sneak into various vineyards, taste the grapes ripening on the vines and then at harvest would negotiate to buy certain parcels that he would take home and make into wine.  After the wine was ready he would load some bottles into the basket on the front of his bike and he would literally ‘peddle’ them throughout his village.  I desperately wanted to taste that passion in the wines.

We sat down to the tasting.  My anticipation was high.  I tasted through the first 10 wines, which all let me down. There was no character, no body, no ‘voice’ in the wines.  I asked about the history of the winery again and learned that about 30 years ago the winery changed hands and was re-sold to a Swiss Bank or some Investment company.  I had my answer.

Over dinner that night I met Jose Hildago, the winemaker for a La Mancha based winery called Campo Realles.  He told me stories of how his mother & father ran a small restaurant in his village in La Mancha and how his mother would taste through the wines of the local farmers and decide which were suitable for his father’s food.  She would give Jose a taste and ask his opinion.  From this point on Jose wanted to make wines that his mother would think were good enough for his father’s food.

After hearing this story I yearned to taste his wines, so we arranged to meet and taste the next morning.

Jose has been making wines for over 20 years now and is a very thoughtful and soft spoken man until you ask about the ‘nature’ or ‘voice’ of the Tempranillo grape.  His voice starts to resonate and his hands move in a hundred different directions.

 We tasted through 10 wines and I was so impressed by the 2008 Canforrales Tempranillo that I bought a whole container (1100 cases).  It is lush, deep, wonderfully fruity, earthy and spicy.  All of this is in perfect balance with the body and tannin.  The wine has a voice and it clearly speaks to the passion behind it.

Give it a whirl and I hope that it improves your quality of life… one sip at a time.

As I sit down to write this I am struck by the sheer number of lists of what happened in 2009. I think the most amazing thing about 2009 is what the year that was will foster in the year that is upon us.

Remember the start of 2009? All the economic forecasters were predicting doom and gloom. It seemed that the world was bracing itself for a year of despair. I said it then and I will say it again now; what defines us is not what happens to us, but how we deal with it. I feel that we dealt with 2009 perfectly. We didn’t spend our days thinking the sky was falling, rather we tightened our belts, we made good decisions in tough spots, we got a little more creative and the result will be that 2010 will be a better year than most suspect.

Here are a few of my predictions for 2010:

1)      Loads of $25 and over wines will be reduced in price to under $20 specifically look for Southern French, California, and B.C. wines to take the biggest drops. The quality is outstanding but inventories are high and the importer/winery needs to make room for new vintages.

2)      Argentine wines will continue to grow at amazing rates, while French, Australian (primarily Yellow Tail), & Californian wines will continue to see declines.

3)      South African, Spanish, Portuguese, Sparkling and Italian white wines will be the ‘surprise’ growth categories. Each of these categories are well represented with under-priced, WOW Factor wines that are seeing double and triple digit growth already. I can’t see any reason why these trends would stop as the vintages that are here and to arrive are ridiculously good.

4)      There will be more expressions of your favourite Single Malt Scotches (i.e. Laphroaig 10 yr, 15 yr, Highland Park 15 yr, Ardbeg 10yr) and the introduction of a number of expressions that have not been seen before (i.e. Glenturret). We may even see some price decreases here as demand in markets such as Russia & India has dropped by half.

5)      The most exciting spirits will be small batch premium Rum and Bourbon as more producers are seeking export markets. Part of the excitement will be the quality for price as many of the world’s best will be 2/3 the price of entry level Single Malts from Scotland.

6)      Team Canada will win Gold in Men’s & Women’s Hockey, 6 Gold in Speedskating, 3 gold in skiing events, and a plethora of Silver & Bronze medals making the Vancouver Olympics Canada’s most successful.

7)      The Canucks will win the Stanley Cup.

I threw the last one in there because I really like the idea and that would significantly improve our quality of life…. one sip at a time!

Isn’t it hard to believe that yet another year has passed? This year has been filled with a great deal of uncertainty about the economy but loads of optimism about the future and I predict that 2010 will be a great year for all.

2009 saw me taste over 3700 wines, 800 beers and 500+ spirits and a lot of them are fantastic but only a rare few (5 red and 5 white) will make it into my TOP PICKS of 2009.

I have a simple criteria for inclusion. 1) the wine must still be available as there is no point in including a wine that is no longer available;  2) it had to blow my socks off, and 3) it had to way over deliver to the point of being a WOW Factor wine.

Here are my notes on the TOP PICKS of 2009. I hope you enjoy.

TOP PICKS OF 2009: RED WINE

SENTIDO 2005

COUNTRY: Spain

REGION: Ribera Del Duero

GRAPE(S):100% Tempranillo

AVAILABILITY: Only 2100 cases made worldwide. 375 bottles in BC.

THE STORY: In January 2009 I had the good fortune of going on a buying trip to Spain. One of the most modern wineries we visited was Neo.

Neo is operated by 4 guys that average about 35 years of age who are all extremely creative. One is an accomplished painter, another an award winning graphic artist, but all are extremely passionate about winemaking & music. In fact they had the fellow who designed the sound studio for the Beatles design and install a sound studio into the winery.

The other notable about this winery is the fact that the last 3 years running they have been recognized as producing Spain’s top wine.

The Sentido is the baby of 3 big brothers, all of which are made in tiny quantities.

The colour is a deep dark purple that belies the rich aromas.

The nose features deep, ripe black tree fruits like black plum and black cherry that are laced with aromatic lavender & rosemary.

Now the palate… the palate is so rich that it is best to let it sit on your tongue for a few minutes to let it unfold as the whole story is there if you let it.

Intense fruit and spice that has a finish to die for; long languid, silky and seductive. For the price it is hard to find a premium wine that can compete with this.

FOOD PAIRING: I love this with roast lamb done with rosemary. Another succulent dish for this wine is a simple roast pork tenderloin with Moroccan spices.

CESARI ‘MARA’ 2006 VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO

COUNTRY: Italy

REGION: Veneto

GRAPE(S):40% Corvina, 33% Rondiella, 27% Molinara

AVAILABILITY: 635 bottles in B.C..

THE STORY: This is wines perfect storm. 2006 was best vintage in Valpolicella in a generation (25 years). It is said that the father’s and mother’s of the current generation of Valpolicellan winemakers have not seen a vintage like 2006 for over 25 years.

Couple this with the fact that Valpolicella Ripasso is made by blending in some Amarone from previous vintages. For this wine the Amaroneused was from the best vintages in the last decade.

The last influence is global demand and its effect on pricing. Valpolicella and Valpolicella Ripasso are wonderful in great vintages but can be awful in bad vintages. For this reason prices remain quite stable and in the case of 2006, depressed in relation to the quality. This wine could easily sell for $40 and be a treat.

The colour is a deep dark red, while the nose is so delightfully perfumed that you may want to wear this on a night out. Delightfully fruity and bright with sensuous vanilla and floral tones of violets and sage.

The palate is soft and silky with the flavours lovingly filling the mouth. The flavours are so deep that you will find yourself chewing on the wine.

Let this breathe for 45 minutes before serving for best results.

FOOD PAIRING: This will work with a wide range of foods including roasted Chicken or Turkey, grilled or roasted pork & beef, and even baked cod. This is brilliant with aged Cheddar, Cambozzola and Beemster.

FINDER’S & SEEKER’S 2006 OLD VINES BAROSSA SHIRAZ

COUNTRY: Australia

REGION: Barossa

GRAPE(S): 100% Shiraz

AVAILABILITY: Exclusive to Liquor Plus

THE STORY: This wine is filled with explosive flavour. In fact it is like filling your mouth with perfectly ripe blueberries and blackberries and biting down letting all the flavour erupt on to the palate.

What makes this wines really special is that it is truly from Old Vines. The youngest vines are 40 years old while the oldest are over 100 years old. The result is a wine that supremely deep, textured and long on the finish.

The truth is that other wines that are at this level of quality and made from old vines like this one are priced at $25 and above. With that in mind we bought as much stock as physically possible.

FOOD PAIRING: I love this wine on its own because of the depth of its flavour, but I also love this wine with roasted lamb or steak done with either a port or berry reduction sauce.

In terms of cheese, have this with aged Gouda, local Goat Cheese or Beemster.

CHATEAU DE MONTFAUCON 2006 COTES DU RHONE

COUNTRY: France

REGION: Rhone Valley

GRAPE(S):60% Grenache 25% Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan

AVAILABILITY: 120 cases in B.C. for 2009

THE STORY: If you were to stand on the eastern most side of these vineyards you would be standing on a point on the banks of the Rhone river. If you were to look down at your feet you would see a rocky, gravelly soil. From that soil you could pick up a rock and throw it across the river and hit land.

The rock would fit right in as the soil on the other side of the river is identical to that in the Chateau Montfaucon vineyards.

What they call the vineyards on the other side of the river is Chateauneuf de Pape. Wines from this region have so much character and are velvety smooth that they are in high demand around the world and therefore fetch prices $40 and above.

The Chateau de Montfaucon Cotes du Rhone is grown in the same soil, is affected by the same climate, and is composed of the same grapes as its more renown cousin across the river, but it costs under $25.

The wine shows all the class and grace of Chateauneuf de Pape. The aromas bring you in and wrap you up in a gentle blanket. Ripe bright red fruit aromas carry sultry earthy tones.

The palate is very well balanced and expressive. Give it 30 minutes to breathe and it is a wondrous bath of ripe fruit and a velvety finish.

FOOD PAIRING: This is perfect for rich stews, poultry of all types, and roasted lamb. Cheeses range from St. Andre to Parmesan.

VINA TARAPACA 2006 GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON

COUNTRY: Chile

REGION: Maipo Valley

GRAPE(S):100% Cabernet Sauvignon

AVAILABILITY: 202 cases in B.C. in 2009

THE STORY: When you have 1 tasting experience you chalk that up to a great vineyard, great vintage or great winemaker. You really can’t say with any confidence that the country of origin or the specific region offers the value or character. However when you have tasted over 1000 wines from the same region I believe that it is now possible to make statements about the region, as well as the vineyard, winemaker, vintage, etc.

Chile is producing World Class wines at stunning value… there I said it. This wine was just one more piece of evidence and the piece that sealed the case.

If you tasted this wine blind against California Cabernets  that start at $40 a bottle this would likely be your choice.

It has is a dark ruby red in colour and features aromas of black cassis, ripe red and black berries and spiced vanilla.

The palate is wonderfully mouthfilling and rich. It is a seamless wave of fruit, spice and earthy tones that gentles caresses you. After 20 minutes of breathing you will encounter complexity normally associated with wines twice the price.

FOOD PAIRING: This is a meat lovers wine. Enjoy this with roast beef or burgers. A grilled steak or Meat Lovers pizza, it will delight.

TOP PICKS OF 2009: WHITE WINE

TANTALUS 2008 RIESLING

COUNTRY: British Columbia

REGION: Okanagan

GRAPE(S): 100% Riesling

AVAILABILITY: Only 6 cases.

THE STORY: You know out of all the grapes and wines made in B.C. from the 2007 and 2008 vintages, I think that the wines made from Riesling showed the best. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t specific wines made from other grapes that are not as good as any Riesling, just that for overall quality Riesling produced more quality wines in the last 2 vintages.

It seems that there is just more depth and character and texture that is present in the Rieslings than any other grape during this vintages.

There are no better examples of this than the Tantalus 2008 Riesling.

The nose is filled with white flowers, nectarines, apricot, and petrol or crushed rock aromas. The palate is deliciously crisp and mouth filling, with a finish that is so delicate that it makes you want another glass.

FOOD PAIRING: This would be perfect for Christmas dinner… and I mean perfect! Also try roast chicken or pork and soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert.

STARLING LANE CELEBRATION BRUT

COUNTRY: British Columbia

REGION: West Saanich Road

GRAPE(S):Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

AVAILABILITY: 25 cases in Victoria.

THE STORY: For sometime now I have stating that I believe that Vancouver Island is one of the world’s best places to produce Sparkling wine. Our climate and soils are very similar to that of Champagne in France and they seem to do okay with Sparkling wine.

A couple of vintages ago it was a very tough year to get Pinot Noir and Chardonnay ripe enough to produce table wine, so Jerry and the team at Starling Lane decided to take a flyer on producing a Sparkling wine and it was a huge hit.

Last year they weren’t sure if they would sell out. Well they did and this year the wine is every bit as good and they made less of it.

The nose suggests sweet watermelon and strawberries, but the palate is more about crisp fresh red berries and apples. The body is perfect and simply thinking about it as I am writing this is making me salivate and dream of my next glass.

The bubbles are tiny and the colour is a delicate dusty rose colour.

Put this altogether and I would take this wine any day over a French Champagne, the only problem is there isn’t enough to last the year let alone everyday.

FOOD PAIRING: The perfect pairing is a seaside dinner of crabs, lobster, clams and mussels all started with local oysters and Comox Brie.

RAPAURA SAUVIGNON BLANC

COUNTRY: New Zealand

REGION: Marlborough

GRAPE(S):Sauvignon Blanc

AVAILABILITY: 15 cases in Victoria.

THE STORY: This is the first time I have ever put a New Zealand wine in my TOP PICKS of the Year. Simply put New Zealand wines have been well made but have not traditionally provided great value for the dollar.

Even in the case of this wine, my first impression was that it we a little too vegetal on the nose and didn’t brighten up my day as I tasted through it.

As wine is a living product I decided to try it again about 5 weeks ago. This time I was super impressed. The nose was filled with dried spices like sage and oregano with highlights of cut grass and granny smith apple. Yet the nose was the least attractive part about this wine.

The palate was filled with flavours or ripe honeydew melons, white nectarine, sage, herbs, and a touch of tart berries. All of these flavours seemed perfectly integrated with the rich body but crisp acidity that kept my mouth fresh.

This wine made into the TOP PICKS because of its incredible turn around and breadth of character. Truly remarkable.

FOOD PAIRING: I am thinking that I would start with a simple soft cheese like triple cream brie and graduate to a Po Boy sandwich with bread crusted baked oysters and some horseradish sauce.

TINHORN CREEK 2008 GEWURZTRAMINER

COUNTRY: British Columbia

REGION: Golden Mile

GRAPE(S): Gewurztraminer (Goo for short)

AVAILABILITY: 3000 case made, 200 still remain.

THE STORY: The trick to making world class Gewurztraminer is in the balance between acid and sugars. I know this sounds obvious, but here in B.C. it becomes more critical as there are so many quality producers.

Sandra Oldfield has been making stunning Gewurztraminer for over 10 vintages now and has the balance down.

On the nose and palate there is wonderfully lively and bright fruit and spice that just make you smile but the finish is so refined that it serves to enhance your first impression of the wine.

This is a dry Gewurztraminer and that usually means tons of Lychee nut, which is okay but not my favourite. However Sandra has found that in her vineyards it is possible to create a cocktail of exotic fruits to work in concert with the Lychee nut. These fruits include tropical ones like guava and star fruit, and local tree fruits like apricot and nectarine.

Overall this wine is simply a delight to savour and enjoy, but be sure to serve it chilled and not cold. About 3-5C is perfect as the balance between fruit, spice and body will shine.

FOOD PAIRING: This works better with lighter fare than heavier and is a great match for local trout, prawns and crab.

CA’ DEL RE PROSECCO

COUNTRY: Italy

REGION: Veneto

GRAPE(S):Prosecco

AVAILABILITY: 10,000 cases made for worldwide distribution

THE STORY: There are a lot of Prosecco’s that are finding their way onto the market. The good news is that there is a substantial increase in the amount of sparkling wine consumed in Victoria and Prosecco’s are a big part of that. The bad news is that there are a lot of ‘pretender’s out there trying to capitalize on the Prosecco craze and the increase in Sparkling wine consumption.

Enter Ca’ Del Re Prosecco. This little unassuming brand from a family that has been producing Prosecco’s for generations is head and shoulders above the rest and an incredible value for the price.

The nose is bright and lively reminding me of the Prima Balerina in the Nutcracker Suite.

The palate features generous white tree fruits and a surprisingly rich body. It is this body that elevates this into the TOP PICKS.

As mentioned it has lovely but delicate flavours and the body is rich and curvaceous unlike 99% of the other Prosecco’s and most other sparkling wines in and around this price point.

One’s delight in this wine borders on frivolous and hence why each glass seems like I am stealing a decadent moment just for myself.

FOOD PAIRING: Perfect before dinner with a broad assortment of appetizers and perfect on its own in a warm bath surrounded with glowing candlelight.

If you would like to get a box of 5 TOP PICKS along with these tasting notes you can get it at any Liquor Plus store. Simply pick 5 of the TOP PICKS and the staff will put those together with the specific tasting notes in a nice pine box for $149.50 +deposit. It’s a great gift and I have dibbs on the first 5.

Another word to the wise, most of the above are in very limited quantities and will not likely be found anywhere than on a Christmas dinner table very shortly.

 

Cheers and heres to improving the quality of life… one sip at a time!

Rod Phillips

Buyer