Quench TruePDF january february 2019

AFTER 25 YEARS IN THE WINE INDUSTRY AS A RE-TAILER, WRITER, CONSULTANT, JUDGE AND SPEAK-ER, MANY PEOPLE HAVE ASKED WHY I’VE DECIDED TO START TAKING CLASSES THROUGH THE WINE & SPIRIT E

Classic Cabernet Sauvignon Currant, blackberry,

cigar box with touches of chocolate, cedar and

pencil lead Full flavored & just so damn good

I should raise the price.

- Charles Smith

“

”

By keeping our roots, we follow our traditions We have

commited ourselves to produce top-quality wines,

developing our genuine Monastrell grape variety.

NATIVE

LAND OF

MONASTRELL

E

NCH

12 | SUB GI TIM PAWSEY

The “new and improved” BC wine map is

rapid-ly taking shape

16 | ASSIGNMENT: RENDEZVOUS WITH CARLOS

TOD STEWART

The changing path of Spain’s Bodega Motecillo

23 | IT’S SUMMER SOMEWHERE DUNCAN HOLMES

It’s cold now, but a little sunshine in the kitchen will help

JANUARY/ FEBRUARY

A light is shinning on Barbaresco

and it’s about time

JOIN US IN THE CONVERSATION BY SUBSCRIBING NOW AT

6 | LAZY MIXOLOGIST CHRISTINE SISMONDO

How about a little ceviche in your cocktail?

8 | BON VIVANT PETER ROCKWELL

I just got back from France What

wine-produc-ing country should I go to next?

9 | LAGER THAN LIFE ROBIN LEBLANC

Weed is now legal, but what does that mean

for beer

26 | BUYING GUIDE

The best wine, beer and spirits from around the

world, critiqued by our expert tasting panel

34 | AFTER TASTE TONY ASPLER

So long Champagne Salon It’s been good to

know you

COLUMNS

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AFTER 25 YEARS IN THE WINE INDUSTRY AS A

RE-TAILER, WRITER, CONSULTANT, JUDGE AND

SPEAK-ER, MANY PEOPLE HAVE ASKED WHY I’VE DECIDED

TO START TAKING CLASSES THROUGH THE WINE &

SPIRIT EDUCATION TRUST (WSET), OFTEN REFERRED

TO AS THE GLOBAL STANDARD FOR WINE EDUCATION.

I’ve travelled to most major — and many minor — wine-producing regions,

visited thousands of wineries, and spoken and tasted with an even greater

number of winemakers and viticulturalists The more I educate myself,

the more I realize how much more there is left to learn and how little I

actually do know Part of what I love about wine is knowing that there is

always something new to learn

2018 marked a year of firsts I visited both China and Japan for the first

times I judged my first Asian wine competition I was the “nama jin” (aka

rookie) judge at my first sake competition, and I decided to formalize my

wine education to become a certified WSET instructor

Our team of writers at Quench are among the most travelled and

expe-rienced in the industry They travel the world, not so you don’t have to, but

to pique your interest to try something new Or maybe to visit a wine region

or culinary destination to which you’ve never been The beauty of food and

wine is in the diversity and discovery

Use our writers’ experiences to guide yours Don’t get stuck in the “I

only drink Bordeaux”, “Anything but Chardonnay”, “I don’t eat lamb” or

any other rut Strive to seek out something new based on the

descrip-tions and experiences of our writers The joy of discovery is evident

through their words

Don’t deny yourself the enduring pleasure of learning Never say no to

tasting something new Keep an open mind and palate when tasting, and

avoid generalizing when it comes to both wine and food Remember that

our palates change over time, so something that may not have been to your

taste in the past may turn out to be your new favourite today

Let us at Quench help make 2019 your year of firsts.

LETTER FROM THE

Aldo Parise editor@quench.me

WINE EDITOR

Gurvinder Bhatia gbhatia@quench.me

MANAGING EDITOR

Lisa Hoekstra lhoekstra@quench.me

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Tod Stewart tstewart@quench.me

COLUMNISTS

Tony Aspler, Robin LeBlanc, Peter Rockwell, Christine Sismondo

CONTRIBUTORS

Craig Pinhey, Tim Pawsey, Michaela Morris, Duncan Holmes

TASTERS

Tony Aspler, Gurvinder Bhatia, Tod Stewart, Evan Saviolidis, Rick VanSickle, Sean Wood, Ron Liteplo, Harry Hertscheg, Tim Pawsey, Crystal Luxmore, Tara Luxmore, Jonathan Smithe

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LAZY MIXOLOGIST CHRISTINE SISMONDO

That’s a shame, since there are certain things that fit that

description perfectly, like, say, eating cricket snacks, worm

salt in a Margarita or, possibly best of all, slurping back leche

de tigre — the leftover marinade from Peruvian ceviche,

trans-lated as “tiger’s milk.”

We’ve probably already lost a few squeamish readers with

that and further explanations will only alienate more But the

“milk” part of its name refers to the juice’s creamy appearance

that results from the raw fish proteins breaking down

Still with me? Good Because for those of us who aren’t

afraid of a little raw fish juice, the sour, spicy, salty,

slight-ly-sweet and umami-rich leche de tigre is an extra-special

treat It’s at least as exciting as the ceviche, itself, possibly

even more — practically the grown-up equivalent of licking the

wooden spoon after baking Better yet, we’ve barely even begun

to explore its potential as a cocktail ingredient, although a few

bartenders, such as Simon Hooper of Toronto’s Rush Lane, are

trying to change that

“To me, it’s all about sustainability,” says Hooper, one of the

bar’s founding owners “I just hate waste and, with leche, you’ve

got something that you can use that’s packed full of flavour and

enzymes, so why wouldn’t you use it?”

That speaks to the origin of tiger’s milk, said to have started

as a “poor man’s food” that caught on as street vendors became

TIGER’S MILK

Thanks to a certain gin company, which famously

marketed its delicious, easy-drinking and

gorgeous-ly-packaged gin as being “Not For Everyone,” that

phrase has lost a little of its meaning

more popular in Peru Fast-forward to the present day, when you’ll find tiger’s milk perfectly garnished and served up in a shot glass as an amuse bouche in Lima’s swankiest restaurants What’s next? Cocktail bartenders are starting to catch on, too

“It has a really nice, almost creamy texture to it, so when you’re using it, you’re adding so much complexity to the drink,” Hooper says “Which is especially amazing for anything toma-to-based, since it gives it more body, all the while getting extra kick from the citrus and spice.”

Although there are people playing around with Tiger Sour type cocktails, Hooper counsels starting out safe and working tiger’s milk into your standard Bloody Mary, Bloody Caesar, Michelada and Sangritas The latter are those spicy-citrus tequila chasers, for which he also gives us a recipe “I’ve seen some pretty brutal cocktails over the years, like someone once offered me a clam chowder sour and I was, like, ‘No, I don’t think so Maybe another time.’”

Hooper suggests adding a half-ounce of leche de tigre to a Bloody Mary and playing around with the base spirit Instead

of vodka, have some fun with gin, tequila or mezcal Other than the really heavy sesame oil versions, almost any ceviche juice will work, but he offers up this personal favourite of his, which makes a great “milk,” absolutely perfect for making a top-notch Sangrita “de Tigre.”

SANGRITA DE TIGRE

To get the leche, you have to make Simon Hooper’s ceviche first:

1/2 oz Walter Caesar Mix1/2 oz leche de tigre*

4 dashes habanero sauce

Mix ingredients together and serve straight up in a shot glass, along with a good shot of sipping tequila or mezcal Enjoy the pairing in small sips, alternating between the two — tequila first, Sangrita next

CEVICHE

250 g swordfish, chopped

125 g Hokkaido bay scallops, chopped

28 g cucumber, peeled and cubed

28 g Granny Smith apple, finely cubed

22 g shallots, finely cubed

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

10 g cilantro, julienned

3 oz fresh lime juice

1 oz fresh orange juice1/2 tsp salty Paloma fiesta (grapefruit salt)

2 tsp rocoto (Peruvian hot sauce)

1 tbsp agave syrup

Mix all ingredients well, cover and refrigerate for an hour

Strain, but keep the liquid That’s the leche de tigre! ×

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BON VIVANT PETER ROCKWELL

I just got back from France What wine-producing

coun-try should I go to next?

When you said “France,” did you mean all of it? While I get you wanting to add a few more stamps to your

passport, the French do hold the deeds to some of the oldest, not to mention most beautiful, real estate in the

wine world So if you haven’t basked in the glory of a châteaux of Bordeaux’s Medoc, gazed upon

Saint-Émil-ion from the Place du Clocher, walked the underground cellars in Champagne, drove Burgundy’s Route des

Grands Crus or spent even a second in the Loire, the Rhône and Alsace, you’ve got a lot more to see

Given France the grand tour? Your next trip needs to be to Italy With one hand on my well-worn copy

of The World Atlas of Wine, I’ll swear that no other culture combines food, wine and wine tourism like the

Italians Your first stop should be the northern region of Veneto, the home of Valpolicella, Soave, most of

Prosecco, the wine city of Verona and a little town where the Bellini was invented called Venice Three hours

away is Piedmont, which offers some of the most majestic vineyard views on Earth Central Italy has Tuscany,

Umbria and Marche, and heading south you’ll marvel at the vineyards of Campania and Puglia It’s a country

that, as a wine lover, is everything you’ll ever hope it will be

While I could pledge my love for the Old World for paragraphs (forgive the miss, Spain and Germany), the New World offers more than its fair share of scenic wonders If California arguably invented the idea

that wineries could be tourist attractions, its coastal neighbours in Oregon and Washington have run with

the idea Closer to home, vintners in BC, Ontario and Nova Scotia have each created their own winery-based

experiences that will make you proud to be a Canadian wine drinker

If your vacation budget can cover some major time in the air, I can’t say enough about investing in a ney to New Zealand Though Australia has its charms, when you land in New Zealand wine country you’ll be

jour-quick to appreciate how appealingly different its liquor landscape is A journey to South Africa will give you a

similar experience I’m not just talking about the wine; geographically these countries look like no other

Who’d I miss? Argentina, Chile, Portugal, Croatia? I’ve left a piece of my heart in too many wine regions to

mention In the end, my advice is that anywhere wine is made is more than worth your time ×

LAGER THAN LIFE ROBIN LEBLANC

ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER THOUGHT EXPERIMENT:

WHAT WILL BE SOME OF THE EMERGING TRENDS IN THE

BEER INDUSTRY? Will there be a resurgence of a particularly

overlooked style? Will some hot, flashy new sour hit the market?

The mind reels But one trend that does seem rather

unavoid-able for the future is the beer world’s budding relationship with

the cannabis industry

That’s right, cannabis, also known as marijuana, weed, the

devil’s lettuce, Mary Jane, and of course reefer, has been

capti-vating the interest of drinks companies long before legalization

throughout Canada in October 17th of last year For instance,

Molson-Coors announced that it would be releasing a

canna-bis-infused beer in the next year And one of the most notable

recent deals is from Constellation Brands, renowned drinks

producers and marketers that represent beer brands such as

Co-rona, Modelo, and Ballast Point The drinks giant took the risk of

investing in cannabis producers Canopy Growth in 2017 and has

since dropped billions into them, betting on what may turn out

to be a very prosperous future

However, on a fairly smaller scale, craft breweries are also

smelling the distinctive smoke of opportunity coming from the

cannabis industry and seeing where they might fit in

To be honest, everything seems very up in the air right now,

mostly filled with announcements of potential plans Popular

Canadian brewery Steam Whistle told BNN Bloomberg in

November that they were “engaged in active discussions” with

cannabis producers throughout the country for a potential investment or joint venture opportunity Many breweries are currently doing the same, trying to figure out what form a rela-tionship with cannabis may take

Others are a bit more certain and feel that the wave of the future is cannabis beer, which at the moment has a loose defini-tion to it Some breweries might mean a beer that incorporates the cannabis plant in the grains but with all the psychoac-tive properties removed Others, like Province Brands, who partnered with Toronto-based Lost Craft Beer among others, mean to make a non-alcoholic beer brewed entirely with canna-bis and no grains Others also include a beer with THC/CBD infused into the drink Some drinks seem to go from interesting and curious to something more in line with a cannabis-infused carbonated water, but all might at least may have a good round

of sales when released

If pressed for a prediction on where this will all go, I’m afraid it’s too early to tell at the moment Right now, we have

a bold new industry with a guaranteed chance of growth and

so many people are smelling the money and letting their early adopter enthusiasm beat out the need for a solid plan While I do see amazing potential in beer and cannabis pairings, specially branded strains for breweries, and especially THC/CBD-in-fused non-beer drinks, cannabis’ role in beer remains hazy

We’ll just have to pause, have a beer or maybe light a joint,

and see where the trip takes us ×

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

GERMAN WINE CONSUMERS DRINK A LOT OF SEKT, GERMAN

SPARKLING WINE, BUT MOST OF IT IS INEXPENSIVE, DRY TO

OFF-DRY BUBBLY But it can be confusing You see, Deutscher

Sekt can be made from all local grapes or from a blend of domestic

and foreign grapes, or even 100 percent foreign-base wine As an

example, you’ve probably all had a glass of Henkell Trocken

But there is a significant amount of quality, bottle-fermented

sparkling wine being made in Germany from local grapes

Offi-cially called Winzersekt or Qualitätsschaumwein, the grapes

have to come from the winery’s own vineyards — although they

can farm out production (riddling, disgorging, bottling, et

cet-era) Many refer to it simply as Schaumwein, with schau

mean-ing “show” and schaum translatmean-ing as “foam” or “froth.”

For Sekt producers, 2018 was a strange vintage It was very

hot and dry, resulting in a historic early harvest, taking place in

August for the first time ever They were harvesting at Raumland

during our visit to their estate in Flörsheim-Deidesheim, in

Rhe-inhessen Raumland is referred to by some as “The God of Sekt.”

Indeed, their 2012 NV Brut was recently named the best

Ries-ling Sekt in Germany The winery is relatively small, producing

around 50,000 litres from 10 hectares of estate vineyards, 100

percent organic since 1990

Once you’ve tasted God’s wines, one wonders how the other Sekthäuser compare

On a visit to Strauch, a family-run operation in nearby hofen, it was clear that quality Schaumwein is not just the prop-erty of the Gods

Ost-In 2011, Isabel Strauch-Weissbach and her husband, Tim Weissbach, took over her parents Sekthaus They produce a range of sparkling wines, making approximately 250,000 to 300,000 bottles per year — including those for other wineries

— from a range of grapes, including Pinot Blanc, Riesling, vaner, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier Their style

Syl-is more straightforward and less complex (thus less expensive) than Raumland’s

Going through the region tasting these top-level traditional method sparkling wines showed that Germany makes bubbly at the highest level, equal to top versions from the rest of the world, and available at fair prices The variety is impressive, owing to different philosophies regarding the use of malolactic fermenta-tion with some wines and not others, and using Riesling at 100 percent or blending it with Pinot family grapes There is no ques-tion that some producers are making wines from Champagne va-rieties that taste just like Champagne

A TASTE OF DIVINE

by Craig Pinhey

BRAUNEWELL

RAUMLAND TRADITION RIESLING BRUT 2012 ($26)

Judged Germany’s best Riesling Sekt this year A

fresh and fruity bubbly but with nice, toasty notes

A great example of Champagne-like Schaumwein

at a great price Uses malolactic for creaminess and

an early pick for acidity 6 g/l sugar Terrific value

RAUMLAND CUVÉE KATHARINA BRUT NATURE

2013 ($30)

Judged best Burgundy grape Sekt in Germany this

year A blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier with

zero dosage Fresh and crisp in style, even with full

malolactic Partially fermented in old and new oak

barrels Incredible value

STRAUCH RIESLING EXTRA BRUT 40 MONATE

2012 ($30)

A creamy bubbly, with lots of stone-fruit flavours

and good length Even though it’s Riesling, one

could mistake it for Champagne Strauch normally

uses malolactic, except in really warm vintages,

such as 2018

STREIT GRANDE CUVÉE 2014 ($45)

One of those rich, soft, heavily autolytic sparklers

A blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot

Meunier, it has great texture and length They

dis-gorge 500 bottles approximately every 6 months

This bottle was disgorged in October 2017 and

tasted in August 2018

BARDONG CHARDONNAY BRUT 2014 ($45)

A special wine from grapes grown on the 23 ha Mariannenaue

vineyard, on an island in the Rhine, 10 km east of Bardong It has

distinct apricot notes and fresh acidity It’s very elegant We also

tried the 2007 vintage, which had complex notes of dried fruit and

nuts, but still had life

BARDONG ERBACHER HONIGBERG RIESLING EXTRA BRUT 2012 ($28)

Bardong only makes single-vineyard, single-grape wines, and

this Riesling really shows its heritage It is very dry, with only 3

g/l dosage, and is very much in the crisp style, with zero

malo-lactic It spent 6 years on the lees, though, which gives it a light

citrus pastry note

BARDONG ERBACHER HONIGBERG RESERVE BRUT 1998 ($26)

Perhaps it is the fact that they use no malolactic, but this still has a

lot of life Lightly golden in colour, it has pleasant apple aromas and

flavours, and is not overly autolytic or oxidative

SOLTER ROSENECK SINGLE VINEYARD RIESLING 2012 ($32)

A warm year so this wine has a roundness you don’t normally

expect from Riesling, especially since they use no malolactic It is

fresh, but has a long, tasty finish Solter’s all-women winemaking

team makes bubbly for 50 other wineries in addition to their own

VAUX ROSÉ RÉSERVE 2015 ($40)

100% Pinot Noir, but from a selection of different clones Made with 20% malolactic, and 30% aged in old oak It has an attractive red fruit nose and is a bit toasty, with full texture A bit creamy, but with firm acidity Aged 27 months on the lees

VAUX ERBACHER MARCOBRUNN RIESLING 2014 ($60)

A famous single-vineyard bubbly from Riesling, grown about 5 km west of the winery, close to the river in Hattenheim, on rich, weath-ered limestone This is a rich, leesy, developed wine, with nutty character and longer lees aging, and is recommended to be served with slow-cooked meats It’s lovely and complex

VAUX ASSMANSHÄUSER PINOT NOIR 2014 ($40)

Those of us who scoff at sweet, oaky sparkling Shiraz can turn to this fabulous red bubbly for a much more satisfying experience It’s

a dry red (3 g/l) made with long skin contact and no malolactic It has pure cherry on the nose and palate, tasting super ripe and yet very dry A uniquely wonderful taste experience

BRAUNEWELL RIESLING BRUT NV ($20)

This great value bubbly is aged 30 months on the lees The bottle

we tried was disgorged in 2018 It’s a good example of a toasty traditional method bubbly that still has freshness ×

MARIE-LUISE, VOLKER AND KATHARINA RAUMLAND

Perhaps more significant, over the last two years, three areas

within one of the larger regions have been delineated and

ap-proved as “Sub-GIs” — or Sub-Geographic Indications — namely:

Golden Mile Bench (south of Oliver), Okanagan Falls and, most

recently, the Naramata Bench Still in process at the time of

writ-ing, but widely expected to be confirmed soon, is Skaha Bluffs,

a total area of 365 hectares with 75 hectares of vineyards a few

hundred metres south of Penticton

Less apparent to the casual observer is the exhaustive,

fact-finding process that must be undertaken to successfully

identify and ultimately establish each of these areas It’s an

ex-ercise that, most agree, is critical to the continued evolution and

ongoing elevation of the BC wine industry

A key player, consultant and soil specialist, Scott Smith has

been diligently documenting and analyzing soils throughout BC,

though mainly with emphasis on the Okanagan Valley His

re-ports form the backbone of the recommendations that inform

those who vote on proposals for new regions and Sub-GIs

Hailed as a leading authority on the Okanagan Valley, Smith

says it’s important to understand the elements of terroir within

the valley and elsewhere, especially in relation to what he refers

to as the “glacial landscape,” which is comprised of transported

sediments Along with the climate and specifics surrounding the

growing season, it’s the landscape that drives the fundamentals of

any given terroir — or the basis for a Sub-Geographic Indication

Like others, Smith identifies the Okanagan’s alluvial fans as

critical to viticulture, not only for their soil and rock

composi-tion but also for the air movement they create However, he also

notes that crucial to successfully establishing Sub-GIs is “an

element of pragmatism.”

While there have been a few voices of dissent, the voting results

so far have shown, in every instance, that the overwhelming

ma-jority of wineries and vineyard owners in the given areas were in

favour In fact, a Sub-GI initiative must pass by at least a two-thirds

majority in order for it to go forward for government approval

Usually, though not always, objections have revolved around the specifics of proposed boundaries In the case of Golden Mile Bench, there were exclusions based on elevation, both at high-

er and lower levels However, in that instance, there were clear distinctions between soil types on the bench lands surrounding the alluvial fans, which underpinned the location of the perim-eter, and those below it

The Okanagan Falls Sub-GI extends south from the village of Okanagan Falls to the northern shore of Vaseux Lake It includes

“predominantly undulating glaciofluvial sands and gravels along the east side of the Okanagan Valley.” The western boundary is mainly consistent with the route taken by Highway 97, which also marks the limit of suitable vineyard lands, as a flood plain lies to the west side

For Naramata Bench, there were a few objections raised in regards to perceptions of more “red tape” and regulating the use

of the geographic term That control, however, is very much tended to protect it from misuse, including by anyone from out-side the area While the leadup to the Naramata vote saw some spirited opposition, in the final tally the initiative still passed by

in-a hein-althy min-argin of over 80 percent

As to why the ongoing development of Sub-GIs has the dustry fired up, part of the answer lies in what the process can ultimately establish The reports and proposals are detail driv-

in-en and in depth, and add up to a truly thorough evaluation that’s much more than a snapshot They focus not only on all aspects of terroir and viticulture but also present a detailed summary of the status quo, including acreages under vine and the preponderance

of varieties being farmed

It’s taken generations to identify the best wine-growing regions everywhere else in the world so it should come as no surprise that BC’s is an arduous and time consuming process However, the string of Sub-GI initiatives has unquestionably injected new energy into the industry in ways that were not on most people’s radar 10 or 20 years ago The confirmation of this

The “new and improved” BC wine map is rapidly taking shape, as the pace of identifying and

formal-izing the province’s producing regions with greater specificity increases The BC Wine Authority has

already expanded the list of BC Wine Regions, adding the Thompson Valley, Shuswap, Kootenays and

Lillooet to the existing Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands, Fraser Valley, Similkameen Valley, Okanagan

Valley regions and all-encompassing “British Columbia” designation.

SUB GI

by Tim Pawsey

initial group seems likely to generate impetus for still more

Sub-GI applications to be brought forward

SOME POSSIBILITIES ARE FAIRLY OBVIOUS Vancouver

Island’s Cowichan Valley is one It’s already well under

devel-opment, spearheaded by Blue Grouse winemaker Bailey

liamson Even though he doesn’t anticipate any opposition,

Wil-liamson says it’s still important to reach out to people all over

Vancouver Island, in order to build consensus

Here again, soil guru Scott Smith has been busy helping

de-velop a proposal that was to be submitted by the end of 2018

“When we started looking at the boundaries, we wanted to

draw them as broad as we could,” says Williamson

“We wanted to make sure that where there is agricultural land

suitable, but as yet not under vine, we would draw the boundaries

around it Scott’s research amounts to equal parts geology, equal

parts climate The two combined will be the determining factor

of where the boundary is drawn,” he goes on to say

Williamson sees nothing but the positive in establishing a Cowichan Valley Sub-GI, which he hopes will encourage more people in the region to grow grapes — especially Pinot Noir, which is becoming a Cowichan hallmark thanks to a string of warmer vintages

Williamson suggests, “It’s important to isolate the ity parcels that can do well It will also encourage more cross-pol-lination between winemakers — including those who have worked internationally and now bring their ideas here Everyone benefits from that collective knowledge There’s a lot to be gained from playing in the bigger sandbox It’s an exciting time ”

high-qual-If the Sub-GIs have matured into adulthood, the province’s nine identified wine regions have moved well beyond infancy, with some strong indications as to what might lie ahead For in-stance, the recently declared Thompson Valley area includes the banks of the Thompson River reaching from Chase in the east, Kamloops in the centre and Cache Creek to the south and west The current growing area, predominantly 500 metres above sea

“EVEN THOUGH IT STILL FEELS LIKE THE EARLY

STAG-ES, IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET — JUST A FEW

YEARS AGO — WE WERE THE NEW KID THAT NO ONE

WANTED TO TALK TO AND NOW WE’RE THE NEW KID

THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO TALK TO.” JOHN SKINNER

(SHOWN WITH HIS WIFE TRISH)

BAILLIE GROHMAN PINOT NOIR TERRACES 2017, CRESTON, CENTRAL KOOTENAYS ($27)

Forward notes of red and black cherry with some forest floor and spicy hints before a well-structured palate defined by bright acidity and approachable tannins, followed by a pleasing savoury element and fresh finish

CARSON PINOT NOIR 2016, NARAMATA VINEYARD, NARAMATA BENCH ($49)

From sandy loam over clay loam soils, on a fairly steep, southwest-facing slope Whole-cluster pressed and aged 11 months in one third new French oak Lifted aromas of strawberry and red fruits with some earthy hints, followed by a supple, elegant strawberry and cherry palate, wrapped in voluptuous acidity, with fine tannins, spicy undertones and excellent length

CLOS DU SOLEIL ESTATE RESERVE 2014, KEREMEOS, SIMILKAMEEN VALLEY ($59)

A classic Bordeaux blend with varieties vinified and matured separately, aged 15 months in French oak (31% new) Wild red and blackberries on the nose with some earthy notes lead to a juicy, vibrant and layered palate, defined by a streak of savoury un-derpinned by slate and minerality with blackberry, mulberry and cassis notes, supported by good acidity, an excellent refined tannin structure and a lengthy, schisty finish

EMANDARE PINOT NOIR 2015, COWICHAN VALLEY, VANCOUVER ISLAND ($45)

Fermented and aged in neutral French oak, unfined and unfiltered More signs of good things to come: very pure fruit sion with lifted red berries, medium-bodied palate with some earthy and forest floor hints and definite mineral streak

expres-FORT BERENS PINOT NOIR 2016, LILLOOET ($25)

A lighter-bodied Pinot but one that punches well above its weight Primarily Lillooet estate fruit (74%) with 26% from Vernon’s The Rise Vineyard Aromas of wild red berries and spice before a well-balanced palate of strawberry and cherry Good intensi-

ty, balanced mouthfeel and silky tannins, through a gently spicy and juicy finish

HARPER’S TRAIL CABERNET FRANC 2016, THADD SPRINGS VINEYARD, KAMLOOPS, THOMPSON VALLEY ($25)

A lively, fruit-forward palate of raspberry, mulberry and mocha notes with a definite mineral streak in the mid-palate Firm but approachable tannins and a lengthy, schisty ending Arguably the most impressive red variety from Kamloops so far

HESTER CREEK THE JUDGE 2015, GOLDEN MILE BENCH ($50)

From one of the warmest vintages in recent years, made from some of the oldest plantings in the valley A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon is aged for 2 years in 75% French and 25% American oak Lifted notes of black and red food announce a plush palate of mulberry, black cherry and vanilla with well-integrated tannins through a solid close

MOON CURSER 2016 SYRAH, EAST OSOYOOS BENCH ($26)

From an excellent vintage, aged in new and used French and Hungarian oak with the majority in neutral barrels Inky purple

in the glass with generous aromas of black fruit Meaty and spice notes, with hints of leather and tobacco, preceding a plush, mouth-filling palate of cassis, blackberry and anise notes Supported by well-integrated tannins, well-managed oak and a savoury edge through a lengthy close

NOBLE RIDGE THE ONE 2015, OKANAGAN FALLS ($40)

A classic blend of 70/30 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is whole-cluster pressed and cool fermented, with 28 months en tirage

A lively stream of fine bubbles and creamy mousse, with notes of brioche and citrus, before a crisp but mouth-filling palate supported by good acidity and a mineral streak through the close

ROAD 13 BLIND CREEK VIOGNIER 2017, SIMILKAMEEN VALLEY ($19)

Vibrant stone-fruit and citrus notes, followed by a lush but clean, focused palate of honey, citrus and orange blossom, with bright acidity and a generous, lingering finish

SINGLETREE SIGGY SIEGERREBE 2017, FRASER VALLEY ($16)

All stainless-steel fermented and estate grown Aromas of orchard and tropical fruits with mineral hints preface a palate of pear, peach and apple with a slight zesty grapefruit edge, wrapped in juicy acidity through a lengthy, refreshing finish

TIGHTROPE RIESLING 2017, NARAMATA BENCH ($19)

From the lower side of Naramata Road, partially whole-cluster pressed, fermented just off-dry Upfront honey and orchard fruits followed by a lively, citrus and tropical palate with layers of juicy lemon and lime wrapped in a very good fruit–acid bal-ance with a streak of elegant minerality to close

level, is a relatively new shift that has really only become feasible

with the onset of milder winters

While perhaps less of a risk, winter kill still represents a

threat for some varieties Harper’s Trail, for one, trialled several

red vinifera before deciding which one made the most sense in

terms of quality — and which might not be so vulnerable to

win-ter kill as others In that case, it was Cabernet Franc, which, in

the right hands, has turned out to make some impressive wines

Climate change is now a formidable player, with shifting

norms the rule rather than the exception For instance, while

the Thompson River growing area is currently concentrated

mainly to the east of Kamloops, it’s important to note that in the

early 1980s there was at least one producing vineyard of note on

the Ashcroft benches, well to the southwest Pioneering

Har-ry McWatters purchased grapes from the Basque Vineyard to

make one of his first Chardonnays before it was wiped out in the

devastating freeze of 1985

THE SIMILKAMEEN VALLEY BENCHES ARE ALSO RIPE

FOR A SUB-GI, especially as, in the broader context, the

cur-rent Similkameen region encompasses the entire watershed

of the Similkameen River Valley, which stretches west beyond

Princeton As yet, there’s also no official action targeting the

South Okanagan, although the east Osoyoos benchlands, Black

Sage Bench and west Osoyoos benches are all general

possibil-ities that will likely emerge

To put it mildly, BC has been well behind the eight ball when

it comes to adopting a system of appellations and

sub-appella-tions now commonplace across the wine world As BC flexes its

export muscle (based on quality not volume), it’s becoming more

apparent that such a system, in harmony with leading ducing areas, is a necessity not an option

wine-pro-Painted Rock owner John Skinner — a key mover behind the Skaha Bluffs Sub-GI proposal — sees it this way: “We have to show some conformity by international standards Even though

it still feels like the early stages, in the international market — just a few years ago — we were the new kid that no one wanted to talk to And now we’re the new kid that everyone wants to talk to.”The Painted Rock owner was one of the first to see the poten-tial in developing relationships from Beijing to Bordeaux Work-ing with renowned consultant Alain Sutre, Skinner has a strong connection to the latter and now has listings on top wine lists in that city, as well as in London

Skinner has seen the reaction to Canadian wines shift from curiosity to conviction that the Okanagan now ranks as a serious producer While wine geeks may get excited about an undiscov-ered region, that’s not enough, he insists

A developed appellation system that “peels away the layers, from Canada to the Okanagan and then specific areas,” says Skin-ner, “adds up to a wonderful coming of age initiative that’s going

to help us refine our messaging to the international community,

as well as to local wine consumers.”

“For us, Skaha Bench needs to be separate [from Naramata and Okanagan Falls],” he says “It really does have very specific relevance to what makes it tick, and that’s the lake influence, as well as our unique position The sun goes down very late where

we are, through a ‘V’ in the hills.”

Skinner feels strongly that there’s an enormous collective benefit from having that extra line on a label He says, “It’s all

about engaging and respecting the consumer.” ×

NOAH, LAURA AND ANDREW ETSELL

TEND-ING STEND-INGLETREE'S VINEYARDS

A soft breeze offers little respite from August’s sultry heat Thursday night and the streets of Madrid are alive Dinner at La Cocina de San Antón — a fabulous open-air restaurant on the roof of the San Antón Market — wrapped up (deliciously) some time ago At close to mid- night, the crowd is thinning … slightly I’m hunkered down at the bar with a last glass of silky Montecillo Reserva tinto — the wine that had accompanied my now-past repast I’m waiting for Carlos, whom I first met in Haro some six years ago We had hit it off spectacularly then, and had promised to stay in touch upon my leaving.

COUNTRY: SPAIN

CITY: MADRID

LOCATION: SAN ANTÓN MARKET

DATE: THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2018

TIME: 11:45 PM

ASSIGNMENT: RENDEZVOUS

WITH CARLOS.

by Tod Stewart

Unfortunately, Carlos is one of few

words Worse still, he rarely visits

Cana-da, so his presence over the years has been

virtually non-existent The opportunity to

meet up again after such a long absence

had me nervously checking my watch

Suddenly, ushered in with a knowing

smile and a subtle nod from my

bartend-er, Carlos appears His bronze hue seems

to shimmer, and a subtle but captivatingly

familiar scent wafts towards me Though

showing restraint, there’s no denying

Car-los is here to offer an intense experience

Carlos touches my lips My tongue tingles …

Now, let’s just stop right there This

is not as hot and heavy as it sounds

Car-los — more properly monikered CarCar-los 1

— is a brandy de Jerez, a spirit distilled

in the Sherry region of Spain and aged

using the same famed solera process

used to mellow the region’s eponymous

liquid claim to fame Though I partook

in more than a few copitas of Spain’s

glo-rious fortified wine, toured the cellars of

a legendary sherry bodega and was even

introduced to a sherry-based vermouth

(the hottest libation in Spain right now) while “in country,” a merciless word count, and a directive from an equally merciless editor, caused my attention to focus more narrowly on some of the fin-est red wines found on the Iberian pen-insula Which, as far as I’m concerned, was a very good thing

AT A TABLE IN A VAST VINEYARD SPRAWLING OVER 800 HECTARES,

with the mountains of the Iberian tem in front of me and an endless sea of ripening grapes as my surroundings, I’m

Sys-in my element Cool Montecillo Rosado

2017 is poured under a shade canopy

as the sun climbs into a cobalt sphere Lunch is served: tender white asparagus; rich, mildly piquant chorizo and potato stew; and flaky, melt-in-your mouth cod steeped in a vibrant toma-

strato-to sauce The wine, redolent of fresh strawberry, cranberry, watermelon and dried herbs, offers the ideal foil

I’m fortunate to be seated with Rocío Osborne, Brand Ambassador for Monte-

cillo estate, named for her family, who is among the sixth generation of a family whose winemaking history dates back to

1772 Who better to ask about the current state of Spanish reds than someone who actually makes the stuff?

I asked what, in her opinion, were some of the most exciting developments

in the field of her country’s red wines and, specifically, those of her own winery, Bo-degas Montecillo

“In Spain, we have seen a great deal of development in small and unknown areas that have been rediscovered and now are focusing on crafting high-quality wines The rise of certain wines that express a very special character due to their terroir and respectful winemaking techniques Before this, it was all about Rioja, Ribera and Rueda Now there are a lot of produc-ers from these areas that don’t even be-long to a denomination of origin area, and are making amazing wines

“In Montecillo, we have also been identifying and selecting vineyards with special characteristics that will make very

limited production wines that show

per-fectly the terroir where they come from.”

It’s no secret that Spain’s red wines —

and, in fact, all of the country’s wines — have

been continuously improving Classic areas

like Rioja and Ribiera del Duero continue to

produce some of the world’s most coveted

wines Places like Priorat and Toro have, for

some time now, been yielding blockbuster

reds, some of which have attained cult

sta-tus Bierzo and Ribera Sacra are breathing

new life into Mencia — an ancient, but

un-til recently overlooked, red grape variety

Regions like La Mancha, Yecla and Jumilla

— traditionally known for producing large

volumes of largely non-descript bulk wines

— are now producing large volumes of

re-markably good tintos, some of which

repre-sent the world’s best bargains

All of this is largely the result of an

influx of know-how and technology, as

well as constant improvements in

vine-yard management and a willingness to try

new things Even if that means, in some

cases, looking to the past Osborne notes

that even established Rioja producers like Montecillo are always experimenting

“For us, there have been many es,” she explains “In the past, we used to craft wines only from Tempranillo Now

chang-we are using all four of the varietals lowed by the Rioja region — Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano Our vineyard manager has worked very hard

al-to get the best of these varietals, ing the development of a new software program that can track and help control the development of grapes of the different vineyards we source from, which helps to enhance the quality of the fruit.”

includ-Though the regulations governing which red grape varieties can be planted

in the vineyards of Rioja restrict them to the four mentioned by Osborne (Sauvi-gnon Blanc has recently been permitted for the region’s white wines), those four seem to offer almost limitless possibilities

to those producing regional red wines

Tasting the 2012 Montecillo Edición clearly shows the new faces of Rioja’s red

wines, especially the nuanced 22 cas 2010 Ripe, spice aromas of rich black fruit, menthol, graphite and subtle white pepper give way to a ripe, dense, complex flavour tapestry of powerful, concentrat-

Barri-ed tobacco and dark plum The emphasis

is decidedly on fruit and terroir, and much less on what the region’s wines are often famous for, namely, oak

INTRODUCED BY BORDELAISE MAKERS IN THE 18TH CENTURY who fled their own phylloxera-ravaged vine-yards in search of new possibilities, the unmistakeable and pronounced vanilla footprint imparted by oak barrels has long been the most recognizable feature of Rio-ja’s red wines — for better or worse

WINE-Today, the region’s more ing producers are more judicious with the application of oak, seeking to better inte-grate the resulting flavour into the wine’s overall profile

forward-look-Thirteen metres beneath the crust of the Rioja Alta region, I gaze out over a vast

“IN MONTECILLO, WE HAVE ALSO BEEN IDENTIFYING AND SELECTING VINEYARDS WITH SPECIAL CHARAC TERISTICS THAT WILL MAKE VERY LIMITED PRODUC TION WINES THAT SHOW PERFECTLY THE TERROIR WHERE THEY COME FROM.”

MERCEDES GARCÍA RUPÉREZ, WINEMAKER

AT BODEGAS MONTECILLO

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