What's In Your Cellar, Jordan?

Photo Credit: Surrey Now

Jordan Carrier
Everything Wine @ Morgan Crossing
Vintage Room Consultant
everythingwine.ca

As the Vintage Room Consultant for Everything Wine @ Morgan Crossing and with a modest collection of his own, Jordan oversees two cellars of wine. Pouring and sourcing famous first growths and the icon wines of the world for clients, satiates any desire to splurge on trophy wines. At home he tends to focus on value wines that will evolve and change over time as not all cellar-worthy wines need be to expensive.

Q - What are your favourite wines to cellar/collect?
Red ones and dessert wines, no further specificity is available, I really have no criteria other than I want it and I want to keep it.

Q - What are your favourite wine regions to cellar/collect?
I’m trending Old World with my recent purchases, but the majority of my collection is older, New World buys. Time goes by, we change…

Q - What is the purpose of your wine cellar/collection?
Practical, I like to see how a wine evolves, however upon opening I find myself entertained and personally gratified.

Q - What inspired you to hold onto that first bottle or case beyond when it was ready to drink?
Tasting an aged bottle of wine, wanting to recreate that experience.

Q - Was there a particular bottle or region of wine that was the impetus of starting your collection?
It was a Merlot from Robert Mondavi, I don’t even think it was a Reserve, but I kept it for a few years and was so totally transformed by the experience of drinking it that I knew I had to do that more.

Q - Is there a jewel of note or a favourite wine in your collection?
No trophy wines, I don’t believe in keeping anything I would feel unworthy of someday drinking. It’s a respectable collection of wines, but there are definitely some clubs it couldn’t get into.

Q - Any particular duds or disappointments of note?
Osoyoos Larose 2004, I kept that thing forever and when I opened it, it was simultaneously too tannic and falling apart. Very disappointing.

Q - What causes you to actually pull the trigger on a special bottle from your cellar?
Sometimes occasion commands an offering, sometimes I just deserve it, sometimes the wine is likely peaked so it’s a “use it or lose it” scenario.

Q - What have you learned about wine from starting your collection?
It’s amazing how much money I don’t spend on wine. I think, being in the wine industry, I’ve learned much more by being an active taster and pursuing every opportunity to scavange knowledge.

Q - Would perusing your wine cellar offer any insight into you as a person?
I think a far more insightful discovery about someone of my income level is what I want in my cellar but don’t yet have. What’s there now reflects mostly the opportunities I’ve been afforded.

Q - Any general comments about building a cellar/collection?
Always keep buffer bottles on hand that would age well but don’t necessarily need to. They will protect the truly age-worthy bottles from your raging thirst.

Q - What advice would you share to anyone wanting to start a collection of wine?
Be prepared for a Long Game, this is an investment, not a sport.

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

BC Wine Deal: Rosé Special

Two of the Okanagan Crush Pad brands have lowered the price on their tasty rosé wines by a whopping 40%! Both wines were $18.99 and are now on sale until July 31st for $11.39 per bottle if you order direct from Alison@okanagancrushpad.com. Shipping is just $15 in Metro Vancouver and $25 for the rest of BC.

Haywire Winery 2010 Gamay Noir Rosé

Wild raspberry, rhubarb, Bosc pear, light brioche and floral aromas make for a lovely nose on this salmon-meets-brick coloured Gamay Noir rosé from Summerland.

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Bartier-Scholefield 2010 Rosé Table Wine

Also a 100% Gamay, bone-dry rosé that may not appeal to fans of BC blush the likes of JoieFarm's flagship pink. However, the concentration achieved on the palate is so great and cheerful, that despite the dryness, one is left with a loving embrace of freshly baked cherry-goodness and rhubarb-tang.

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What's In Your Cellar, Michèle?

Photo by Paul A. Bosc

Michèle Bosc
Château des Charmes
Director of Marketing

chateaudescharmes.com

Prior to marrying into the Bosc family, for whom a tradition of winemaking extends seven generations, Michèle had already decided on a career in wine and considered the Sommelier field prior to joining the family business where a background in both Science and Marketing has served her well.

Her basement-housed cellar favours red Burgundy and both Left and Right Bank Bordeaux which make special appearances alongside selections of Château des Charmes wines at family gatherings.

Q - What inspired you to hold onto that first bottle or case beyond when it was ready to drink?
Curiosity of how wine evolves over time…each bottle being a unique individual. So there is the emotional connection side of it but my background is science so cellaring is a bit of a live experiment that you have to wait to see the results. Did you wait long enough—or too long? That’s part of the fun.

Q - What is the purpose of your wine cellar/collection?
Family celebrations. When we have an extended family meal or special friends visiting we bring up a bottle from the cellar. Once it is finished we sign and date the bottle (family) or have our guests sign and date the bottle. Wine is best enjoyed when sharing the experience with friends and family. This tradition helps to bring back the memories of a special meal.

Q - What causes you to actually pull the trigger on a special bottle from your cellar?
Mood, family celebration or a very special cut of meat.

Q - What have you learned about wine from starting your collection?
Wine is alive. It lives and breathes every day. No bottle will be the same as in the moment when you open it. There is much romantic about that. And, that you can wait too long. And, if the wine was out of balance in the beginning cellaring won’t change that.

Q - Would perusing your wine cellar offer any insight into you as a person?
Maybe. Remember, cellars are both collections of things you have purchased as well as things you have been given.

Q - Any general comments about building a cellar/collection?
Buy what you love. Be patient. Sometimes the best reason to go to the cellar to pick “a bottle” is simply because. Most importantly, not all wine is meant to be aged.

Q - What advice would you share to anyone wanting to start a collection of wine?
Wine doesn’t necessarily get “better” with age. It simply changes, evolves, matures. Not everyone likes an aged Chardonnay or Icewine. But if you are curious about wine, cellaring is an amazing way of learning about well-made vs. not well-made wines. If you are serious about wine make sure you take notes. They can be published in a shared tool like Cellar Tracker or WineBizerkers. Or you can simply set up your own Excel spreadsheet to keep track of what you have an when you think you should open a bottle. Buy at least 3 bottles so you can open them at different times. This is where the notes come in….check what you thought last time…how has the wine evolved? Do you like it better now or then? Etc. You may find you like some producers and varieties aged longer than others. Please…if you are using a community tool and you don’t like a wine there is no need to publicly slag the bottle. It may be very well made and you may not like it. That's OK. But the general rule of thumb is if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all. Remember, wines are like our children.

 -  Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

Now That You Can (Legally)... Will You?

With thursday's news that the BC government has decided to permit the online purchase and shipment of 100% Canadian wines produced in any Province into BC, will you personally take advantage of your new found freedom?

Currently, the restriction limits the online extra-provincial purchasing to wines containing 100% Canadian grown grapes which means the sourcing of Bordeaux Futures from Alberta as suggested in my Bordeaux 2011 Futures and Wine Laws post is, for now, a no-go. Though, this may not be the last we hear of this topic as Vancouver lawyer Mark Hicken points out on his informative website, winelaw.ca, the stipulation that the wine be 100% Canadian may not adhere to Federally signed trade agreements that prohibit the preferential treatment of Canadian products over those from a treaty consignee.

However these details work themselves out, in the meantime, British Columbians should celebrate and head to their nearest Google Machine and place an order... because, well, you can! But, what should you buy? For many in BC, thanks to the previous Iron Curtain Of Taxes created by the provincial liquor monopolies, Ontario wines (and beyond) remain a complete mystery to folks on the West Coast. A few Ontario wines make their way in to the BC Market, but only a few and many of these are of the celebrity-themed variety. It will be interesting to monitor if BC wine lovers actually take advantage of the new regulation as they get more familiar with the Canadian wines produced beyond their provincial borders.

BC Wine Deal: July 9th, 2012

The following wines have been reduced in price at participating VQA wine shops and BCLDB stores.

D'Angelo Setta Coppa was $21.90 is now $15.40
Gehringer Brothers Riesling was $14.99 is now $12.99
Inniskillin Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was $16.99 is now $15.49
Inniskillin Pinot Blanc Reserve was $13.99 is now $12.49
Inniskillin Reserve Merlot was $16.99 is now $15.49
Jackson Triggs Meritage Silver Series was $19.99 is now $18.49
Jackson Triggs Riesling Black Series was $13.99 is now $12.49
Jackson Triggs Viognier Silver Series was $15.99 is now $14.49
Prospect Chardonnay was $12.99 is now $11.99
Poplar Grove Legacy was $49.90 is now $39.90
Summerhill Pinot Gris was $17.95 is now $15.95
Township 7 Sauvignon Blanc was $18.99 is now $17.49
White Bear Pinot Blanc was $13.99 is now $12.99

What's In Your Cellar, Sandra?

Sandra Oldfield
Tinhorn Creek
Winemaker, CEO
tinhorn.com

Winemaker and bon vivant Sandra Oldfield wears many hats and holds various titles at Tinhorn Creek, where the US Davis graduate has been making wine since her first crush in 1995. In addition to President and CEO of Tinhorn's business holdings, the role most dear to her heart could appropriately be called Chief Evangelist for Sustainability, or CES, if such a thing existed. Ask Sandra about the winery's environmental activities, the most aggressive and sustainable in the valley, and she'll answer with the same pride as asking any winemaker about his or her favourite wine in their portfolio.

For Sandra, cellaring wine is about seeing how the wines evolve over time while also serving a practical purpose to have great bottles of wine at the ready should any socializing or entertaining opportunities arise.

Q - What is the purpose of your wine collection?
My cellar is for personal use. The winery keeps a library for evaluation and comparison purposes so this is just for personal parties and nightly drinking. I throw a lot of parties by the way.

Q - Is there a jewel of note or a favourite wine in your collection?
1845 Madeira that my husband and I taste from every year on our anniversary. Imagine, years before Lincoln was ever President of the US!! I just about cry every time we taste it.

Q - Any particular duds or disappointments of note?
Sometimes homewinemakers ask me to evaluate their wines and if I don't open them pretty quickly they tend not to do well when they finally get opened.

Q - How do you store your collection?
Most the collection is upright in cases because most is from BC and I love buying Screw top closed wines.

Q - What inspired you to hold onto that first bottle or case beyond when it was ready to drink?
I have all the wine I made at UC Davis for my thesis on Cabernet Sauvignon from the Mondavi To-Kalon vineyard. I have never wanted to open them although I am sure they are not good anymore.

Q - What causes you to actually pull the trigger on a special bottle from your cellar?
If I have people over who I know appreciate wine and if I open it as the 1st or 2nd bottle of the night, then I have no problem opening up that last, really-expensive, bottle of wine.

Q - Would perusing your wine cellar offer any insight into you as a person?
I think you would learn that I have to have more parties - I can hardly move inside the room it is being stored in right now.

Q - What advice would you share to anyone wanting to start a collection of wine?
Don't worry if your wine is at optimal temperature. Try to ensure that it stays relatively the same temperature throughout the year. Also, buy at least 3 bottles of something you like or you will find you never open up any wine as you'll be afraid of "the last bottle" syndrome.

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

2012 Lieutenant Governor's Awards for Excellence

Congratulations to the winners of the 2012 Lieutenant Governor's Awards for Excellence as was announced today. According to John Schreiner, who was one of the judges for the competition, 94 wineries entered 347 wines making the final 11 truly elite winners. Many of the wines are still available while a few are nearly sold out. Check your local VQA store for availability.

EauVivre Winery 2009 Pinot Noir - $19
Gold Hill Winery 2009 Cabernet Franc - $25
Hester Creek Estate Winery 2008 Reserve Merlot - $26.99
Jackson-Triggs 2008 Entourage Sparkling Chardonnay - $29.99
Laughing Stock Vineyards 2010 Syrah - $35
Painted Rock Estate Winery 2009 Syrah - $35
Painted Rock Estate Winery 2009 Red Icon - $55
Poplar Grove Winery 2009 Cabernet Franc - $35
Road 13 Vineyards 2011 Jackpot Viognier Rousanne Marsanne - $29
Ruby Blues Winery 2011 Viognier - $25
Thornhaven Estates Winery 2011 Gewürztraminer - $17.99

Monthly Picks: July 2012

In contrast to our all-homegrown selections for Canada Day, we're going all-international for July's monthly picks.

The People's Wine Co 2010 Pinot Noir - $16
For a taste of Central Otago Pinot Noir that delivers a nice balance between the classic mushroom/forest floor and red fruit characters we've come to love from New Zealand, it's had to beet The People's Co offering for value.
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Viña Santa Alicia 2010 Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon - $17
The Santa Alicia Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon is a drink me now wine, but that doesn't exclude it from deserved praise; few Cabernets designed for early consumption are this good and affordable.
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Oyster Bay Wines 2010 Sauvignon Blanc - $17
Classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with loads of gooseberry, green apple, sweet grass and lemon drop aromas and flavours without pungent cat's pee notes.
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Chateau Pey La Tour 2010 Grand Vin - $18
This Merlot dominant blend with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in cameo roles, offers nicely structured red and blue fruits with herbs and tobacco notes and impressive balance. Despite its lowly "Bordeaux AOC" label this wine has character and good typicity for the vintage and region, all for under $20.
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Viña Santa Carolina 2009 Reserva de Familia Cabernet Sauvignon - $20
The finish is both juicy and tart, refreshing your mouth for the next sip, but the fruit dissolves a bit too quickly leaving unbalanced burnt oak notes to linger.
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Cameron Hughes Wine 2009 Lot 250 Meritage - $20
Ripe black cherry and blackberry fruit dominate the sweet nose and smooth palate. Some pepper and pencil shaving notes add complexity and help ground the fruit characters.
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Cellar Besllum 2008 Montsant - $20
This offering, a blend of equal parts Carignan and Garnache, has plenty of character on the layered nose and smooth palate. Smoke, cured meats, strawberry, cranberry and leather make up an eclectic mix of aromas for the developed bouquet.
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- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

What's In Your Cellar, Rasoul?

Rasoul Salehi
Lastella, Le Vieux Pin
Executive Director @ Enotecca
lastella.ca, levieuxpin.ca

As the public face of not one, but two Okanagan wineries, Rasoul spends a lot of his time evangelising the merits of the premium wines produced in the Okanagan Valley. Both the wineries and his own collection draw inspiration from the classic wine regions of France and Italy.

Q - What are your favourite wines to cellar/collect?
Like an investment portfolio I like to keep it balanced and not so to speak put all my eggs in one basket. Having said that vast majority of wines I cellar are:

Sparkling: pretty much solely growers Champagne aka farmer fizz. No other sparkler (except a rare Cava or a rare Cremant) has so much depth, complexity and ability to evolve and get more interesting with age. Not to mention how well they pair with so many variety of dishes.

Whites: very Chablis focused. Love the typicity here. Chablis in hands of good growers makes honest wines. Wines that speak truly of their vintage (growing conditions), age, method of winemaking and of course the rare kimmeridgian soil they are planted on. Often imitated, never duplicated. Love the tension on the finish: the richness combined with laser like focus and acidity.

Q - What are your favourite wine regions to cellar/collect?
Chablis/blanc de blanc grower Champagne, Piedmont Nebbiolo based wines, Northern Rhone reds, traditionally made Brunello and red Burgundy

Q - What inspired you to hold onto that first bottle or case beyond when it was ready to drink?
When early on when I got hit by the wine bug I was able to have a young Bordeaux on release and a day after were able to have the same wine with 20 years of age on it. The change was huge. The complexities and nuances gained by time was utterly mind blowing.

Q - Was there a particular bottle or region of wine that was the impetus of starting your collection?
A bottle of NV Krug champagne with half dozen year of bottle age post disgorgement.

Q - What is the purpose of your wine cellar/collection?
To share with friends and to watch the evolution of each wine as I often buy each label in half case volume or more.

Q - Any particular duds or disappointments of note?
Prematurely oxidized quarts de chaumes, and many prematurely oxidized white burgundies from early 2000s. Also few random cases of 03 Burgundy, 03 Chateaneuf du Pape and red Bordeaux. Find them all to be one dimensional, prune-y and do not eloquently tell the story of where they come from.

Q - How do you store your collection?
We turned a room in our condo into a cellar with a temp/humidity control unit designated to this room. Temp kept at 58-60.

 Q - What causes you to actually pull the trigger on a special bottle from your cellar?
Simple. When like minded people are gathered together that’s a good enough occasion.

Q - Would perusing your wine cellar offer any insight into you as a person?
I think so. I go for difficult wines. Wines that demand your attention and can be very stubborn. Wines that are nuanced rather than hitting you over the head with their fruit and other loud notes. Wines that give more or equally high amounts of intellectual pleasure as opposed to just hedonistic pleasures.

Q - What advice would you share to anyone wanting to start a collection of wine?
Don’t buy heavy in any and I mean any category. Your taste will definitely change. Also don’t go buy in big breadth either. I mean have some sort of a focus either region or grape variety, just not to define in the beginning. If you spread too thin it takes a hell of a lot longer to learn what you like and what you don’t like. Finally join a tasting group or two or three or four or create one. Best way of learning is doing group tastings with various themes. Some themes can be super narrow like Cabernet from a sub appellation within Napa of the same vintage or as broad as Cabernet of the world within all price range.

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca