Monthly Archives: June 2013

1. Waking up each morning to this view of Lake Okanagan.

2. Dinner with Tsillan Cellars‘ owners Mr. & Mrs. Bob Jankelson. The hillside setting of Tsillan presents panoramic views of Lake Chelan, and the well-crafted wines — available only in the tasting room or through the wine club — provide yet more incentive to visit. The Chardonnay tasted rich but balanced and focused; I enjoyed the tight and earthy Sinistra (a Sangiovese-based blend); and about the fruity and full-bodied Bellissima Rossa, I wrote “Yes.” The company was just as good as the wines. My favorite part of the evening came when Mrs. Jankelson asked, with disarming frankness, “So, can you tell me, what is wine blogging? And why is it important?”

3. Sparkling Wine Brunch at Karma Vineyards. This winery convinced me, along with quite a few of my fellow bloggers, that Lake Chelan’s specialty might well be sparkling wines. Each of the wines we tasted had impressively small, pointy bubbles and bright acids, ensuring that they pair well with a range of foods. My favorites were the 2010 Karma Brut, which had rich apple fruit and balanced lemony acids, and (despite the unfortunate name) the 2011 Hard Row to Hoe “Good in Bed” Blanc de Noir, with its beautiful texture, pronounced berry flavor and juicy, orangey acids.

4. Bus Tastings. We spent a lot of time on buses at the Wine Blogger Conference this year, for better or worse, and the conference organizers had no intention of wasting that time. Why just sit there when you can be drinking wine? The best bus tasting culminated with a 2011 Moon Curser Petit Verdot, a variety which appears in Bordeaux-style blends far more often than in a varietal wine. It had a gorgeous mocha aroma, dark fruit, rustic tannins, a zing of acids and an aromatic finish. Delicious. The winery takes its name from local gold smugglers, who would curse the full moon as they tried to sneak their booty across the border at night.

5. 2010 Hainle Vineyards Estate Winery Gewürztraminer Ice Wine. Kristof Gillese led a fascinating session about judging wine, selecting several delicious British Columbian wines for us to sample. I very much enjoyed the rich and lively 1996 Summerhill Pyramid Winery sparkling wine, the cheery and earthy 2008 Tinhorn Creek Old Field Series Pinot Noir, and the velvety and peppery 2009 Painted Rock Merlot.

But the Hainle Gewürztraminer Ice Wine was staggeringly delicious. It’s rare to see a Gewürztraminer ice wine, I learned, because the fruit usually falls off the vine before the first frost, or at the very least loses its acidity. Conditions have to be just right, and with this wine, Hainle hit a home run. It had a rich but fresh honeysuckle aroma, and such verve on the palate! It started lush and sweet, as you might expect, but then startlingly zesty acids kicked in, followed by a pop of white-pepper spice. On the finish, I got a touch of orange along with an aromatic tobacco note. It was sublime. If you can find a way to get to Hainle to taste this wine, for God’s sake, do it.

The first winery we visited as part of the Wine Blogger’s Conference pre-conference excursion to Lake Chelan was not, in fact, on the lake. Since Rio Vista stands on a hillside overlooking the Columbia River about 10 miles to the north, it technically belongs to the huge Columbia River AVA, not the four-year-old Lake Chelan AVA (American Viticultural Area). Even so, travelers to Lake Chelan should consider a short detour to Rio Vista, accessible by road, boat or float plane.

Because of Seattle’s reputation, one might imagine that a vineyard in Washington State receives vast quantities of rain, but eastern Washington lies in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains, making it a veritable desert. Most wineries here need to irrigate their sun-soaked vineyards.

As tempted as I was to take advantage of that sun and bask on Rio Vista’s river-view terrace, I was here on business, and I headed straight to the bar to get tasting. Here are some of my favorite wines, most of which turned out to be blends:

2012 Wild Rose Rosé: A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Syrah, this pink charmer had a tight, spicy aroma, creamy fruit and a zippy prickle on the finish. $19.

2012 Sunset on the River: This very unusual combination of Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay had a beautifully floral, aromatic nose. It starts sweet but tart acids take over, keeping things balanced. $20

2009 Loony Red: Another rather unorthodox blend, this wine mixes two Bordeaux varieties (Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) with a Rhône grape (Syrah). It works. I got sucked in right away by the enticing, darkly jammy aroma. The flavor didn’t disappoint, with a richly fruity start, some oak, some dusty tannins and a zing of spice. $28

2011 Malbec: This wine really divided the crowd. Some people loved the pronounced coffee aroma and the flavors of mocha and cherries, but others remarked that if they wanted a cup of coffee, they would go to Starbucks. $32

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon: We tasted this wine straight from the barrel, which always feels like a special experience, even if the wine is only half-baked. In this case, I wouldn’t have hesitated to drink a whole glass (or more). This creamy, fruity Cabernet had a carefully controlled spiciness and a delicious mocha finish. (Yet to be released — the 2009 costs $32.)

As tasty as these wines were, what really made the visit to Rio Vista unforgettable was the float plane ride. Groups of six of us headed down to the dock on the river and clambered aboard for 30-minute panoramic tours of the region. Quarters were close, but I happily snapped photos of the rugged hills and the lakeside vineyards (see my previous post about the landscape here).

I noticed that the fellow next to me wasn’t taking photos, and oddly enough, his eyes were closed. I didn’t think all that much of it until I saw beads of sweat forming on his brow, incongruous in the relatively cool airplane. It wasn’t until we were about 10 minutes from landing that the poor gentleman requested an air sickness bag.

Alas, this modestly sized receptacle proved inadequate for the task. My greenish-looking neighbor rapidly filled the sack with the colorful remains of the beautiful hors d’oeuvres he had been nibbling just minutes earlier. Thereafter, though he politely kept the bag close to his mouth as he wretched, with each heave, a fine (and occasionally not-so-fine) spray of vomit would burst into the air. Fireworks of bile glimmered for a split second in the sunlight before they landed on my window, my leg, my arm, my shirt, my camera, my glasses, and yes, my mouth.

Thankfully, just as we were reaching these new heights of ghastliness, the plane began its descent. “Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no,” my neighbor said, as we made a final turn before landing. We all exited the plane with no small amount of relief, but none so much as my motion-sick friend, overfull air sickness bag in hand. It was, without question, an unforgettable introduction to Lake Chelan.

I can’t deny that — as challenging as these speed wine blogging sessions can be — I am rubbing my hands together in anticipation of tasting some more British Columbia reds. The ones I’ve sampled so far at this conference have been, by and large, of good to excellent quality. There is some serious wine being made in these sunny, lakeside hills, and I am seriously ready to wrap my palate around some more of it.

Here we go!

2007 D’Angelo Sette Coppa: This blend contains all five of the classic Bordeaux varieties, grown on just eight acres of vineyards. It smells red and surprisingly minerally, and wow, that flavor. It has bright red fruit, focused acids, well-finessed tannins and some metallic earth on the finish. It’s a delight to drink. And though it’s above my usual budget at $25 per bottle, this is a wine I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase with my own money.

2009 Mt. Boucherie Zinfandel: Only three wineries make Zinfandel in the Okanagan Valley, and this is one of them. It’s a very transparent brick-red, which would have led me to guess it was a Pinot Noir. Could this Canadian Zin possibly work? The aroma of raspberry jam and cardamom is certainly appealing. The flavor is not what I think of as Zinfandel, but that’s not a bad thing — it has plenty of red fruit, some white pepper and something herbaceous in there. This is no pot of jam, but if you think good Zin can’t be made in BC, think again.

2006 Summerhill Pyramid Winery Cabernet Franc: The Cabernet Franc fruit ripens latest in the Summerhill vineyards, and the harvest usually comes just before winter’s chill sets in. This could just be the winemaker over my shoulder influencing me, but this wine really does smell like fruitcake. Ripe fruit, a tobacco middle, and a zing of focused acids. Summerhill was the first organic winery in British Columbia, and they’re working towards being biodynamic, an effort I can only applaud, especially when it leads to wines of this quality. If you don’t like herbaceous Cab Francs, this could be your wine. A good value at $30.

2009 Hillside Winery Cabernet Franc: This winery is one of the oldest on the Naramata Bench, founded in 1984. According to the presenter, 2009 was one of the hottest years in recent memory, which theoretically leads to a lot of big fruit extraction. In this case, the wine has a creamy red fruit aroma mixed with some black pepper, a winning combo in my book. It starts really fruity but quickly dries right out, blanketing my tongue with tannins. Again, there’s none of that green pepper quality often associated with Cab Franc, which is a plus in my book. Even so, it seems a bit of a stretch at $25.

2009 McWatters Collection Meritage: This is only the second vintage of the McWatters label, but it comes from relatively old vines planted in 1993. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, it has a heady, almost jammy aroma. And woo! It has big ripe fruit, full but focused acids, and a spicy, tannic finish. A very fine value at $30. Can I get a steak over here please?

2010 Laughing Stock Vineyards “Portfolio”: This winery is a husband and wife team, but they work on opposite ends of the business “in order to keep the marriage intact.” In equally sensible fashion, the blend of this wine changes a bit from year to year, depending on what happened in the vineyard, and in this vintage, it’s 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 18% Malbec, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. What a lovely aroma of mocha and black peppercorns. Richly ripe fruit, big body and a bang of tannins on the finish. Not too shabby! Wait, I have to move on to the next wine?

2011 Bench 1775 Cabernet Merlot: A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, this Bordeaux-style blend has a surprising and intriguingly creamy aroma, tight fruit up front and some dry pasta in the middle, with some nice tannins on the finish. It’s a restrained wine, without too many fireworks, but it’s undeniably classy. Still, I won’t be rushing out to buy it at $23.

2010 Cedar Creek “Home Block” Pinot Noir: The winery’s top Pinot Noir, this is a 50/50 blend of their block 2 and block 4 Pinot vineyards, each of which has its own character, according to the presenter. The aroma certainly supports that distinction. It smells almost jammy, with a little chocolate in there. Fascinating! It has a really lush texture, ample fruit, and a quick hit of white pepper before it resolves into a wash of tannins. Unexpected, but undeniably well-made, and priced just about right at $40.

2009 Quails Gate Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir: This is the flagship wine of Quails Gate, a winery located in Kelowna, about an hour north of Pentiction. It has that classic meaty red-fruit aroma mixed with earth, cherry/Robitussin-flavored fruit, some violets, bright acids and even some tannins on the finish. Nicely balanced. It’s $45, but hey, it’s pretty darn fun, and it will surely surprise your dinner party guests.

2010 Gray Monk “Odyssey” Merlot: Gray Monk is British Columbia’s oldest family owned and operated winery, and the founders have been making wine for 30 years. The vineyards are in the south of the Okanagan Valley, growing in a combination of sand and clay, depending on the specific vineyard. It has a green, spicy aroma, along with some creamy fruit. I would give you some tasting notes, but the presenter was listing off flavors literally right in my ear as I took my taste. “Do you get the sage? Or is that leading you?” Yes, it’s leading me. $23

There were a number of home runs in that tasting, and if there were any lingering doubts in my mind about the capacity of British Columbia to produce big, delicious red wines, they have been decisively and permanently quashed.

If you liked this round-up of British Columbia reds, check out my previous red wine speed blogging effort here.

Once again, the speed blogging challenge is upon me. An array of wineries are about to come visit our table here at the Wine Blogger Conference in glorious Penticton, Canada, and I will be writing about the wines as we are tasting them. Normally I take notes in 20th-century fashion in my notebook, but here, the wine will go directly from my tongue to the blog.

Let the onslaught of British Columbia whites and rosés begin!

2012 Bartier Brothers Gewürztraminer: This is the first vintage from a brand-new vineyard called “Lone Pine,” so-called because they couldn’t take a century-old Ponderosa pine out of the vineyard. What a lovely floral, minerally aroma! This 89% Gewürztraminer and 11% Semillon tastes perfectly dry and floral, with focused acids and a hint of tropical fruit. A fine effort for a first vintage. Just the kind of Gewürz I like to drink. A good value at $16.

2012 Tantalus Riesling: Located in Kelowna, this winery makes a number of Rieslings. This particular version comes from vines aged five to 35 years. I like the subtle minerally, appley aroma. On the palate, it has rich red apple fruit, zesty lemony acids and some gingery spice. Focused and delicious. At $23, and one of Jancis Robinson‘s favorite Rieslings from the region, it seems like a pretty darn good buy.

2012 Tinhorn Creek Pinot Gris: This winery is devoted to keeping its 130 acres sustainable, which these days is ever more important. A creamy, tart lime aroma, and a surprisingly lush pear flavor combined with tart acids and a zing of warm spice on the finish. Priced at $18, and again, not a bad value at all. I’d much rather spend $18 on this than on certain mass-market Pinot Grigios I could name…

2012 Hester Creek Trebbiano: Hester Creek is perhaps the only BC winery producing Trebbiano, yet the vines date way back to 1968. Dusky, overripe, almost funky nose. Fascinating! Rich texture, but with a real spine of white-pepper spice. As one of my compatriot bloggers just remarked, “It’s much better than most Italian Trebbianos.” About $23.

2012 Fizzio Therapy Blanc: This wine with a rather cutesy name is an unusual blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Orange Muscat. I felt suspicious, because cutesy names tend to mask boring wines, but the aroma of sweet orange blossoms started to win me over, and the zippy, tart fruit along with some lively pétillance sealed the deal. A fun pool wine, assuming you have a pool, and can afford the steep $23 price tag.

2012 Joie “A Noble Blend”: A noble blend indeed — this is an Alsatian-style mix of Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Auxerrois and Schönberger. That aroma is lovely, with some caramel and honey, yet the wine is surprisingly dry and aromatic, with well-balanced acids and a touch of spice on the finish. This is a wine I would spend $24 for.

2012 Poplar Grove Pinot Gris: Poplar Grove has 50 acres of Pinot Gris here in Penticton and 50 acres in Osoyoos, and some feel this variety should be the signature grape of Okanagan. This expression has a wild, tart and funky nose. Whoa. I mean funky. I’m extremely intrigued. The flavor delivers with ringing minerals, green apples, taught acids and an aromatic finish with just a touch of b.o. And yes, that turns out to be a good thing. $20.

2012 Gray Monk Estate Pinot Gris: This is the first winery to bring Pinot Gris into British Columbia, importing vines from Colmar (one of my favorite cities) in 1976 (the year of my birth). I will try to remain objective while tasting this wine. The aroma here is a little more conventional, with white flowers, unripe pear and chalk. What lively fun — the flavor is cheery and sunny, with ginger spice, a breath of flowers and a zing of minerals. A great buy for $18.

2012 Black Hills Estate “Alibi”: Good thing I’m spitting — this white weighs in at a hefty 14.5% alcohol. Black Hills is in Canada’s only official desert, an extension of the Sonora, believe it or not. The wine, a blend of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Semillon has an elegantly creamy, minerally aroma, and a rich texture leavened with a big blast of white-pepper spice. Zesty and fun, and with that alcohol content, it’s bound to get your intended unintentionally drunk. So that’s worth $25, eh?

2011 Monster Vineyards Riesling: Monster is the second label of Poplar Grove (see above), named after the monster in Okaganan Lake, Ogopogo. The one acre of Osoyoos vineyards benefit from the cooling influence of the lake, and I am digging the aroma of apples and rubber. It starts sweet before tart acids blast to the fore. There are some flowers in there, some spice… It’s great fun, and well worth the $17 or $18 price tag.

Woo! There wasn’t a stinker in the bunch. Maybe there’s something to this British Columbia wine…

If you liked this round-up of British Columbia whites, check out my previous white wine speed blogging effort here.