Thursday, December 13, 2018

Top 15 Value Wines of the Year

We've selected the top 15 wines for 2018 that we feel represent the best value to the consumer. Though all wines selected are priced at $25 or less, with this list we allowed ourselves to be subjective as to what "value" represents. Prices shown do not include taxes unless marked.

With the rising costs of wine in the BC market, we've had to consider the pre-tax cost of the wine in our (admittedly arbitrary) $25 limit.



#1 - KWV Winery 2015 Cathedral Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon - $14
If you don't like a bit of smoke in your wine then you'll want to steer clear of this Cabernet Sauvignon from KWV whose plummy-chocolate-herbal nose is practically smoldering. The combination carries through to the full-bodied, slightly off-dry palate (to this reviewer's delight).
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#2 - Doña Paula 2016 Estate Malbec - $16
A typical, fruity/juicy/fresh Malbec from the Valle De Uco in the Mendoza, but happily, with some smokey goodness on appealing, blackberry and violet infused nose and with beautifully integrated spice on the lively, black fruit dominant palate. A drink now Malbec, lacking the tannin structure for a long life, but a well balanced, food-friendly wine that would pair nicely with spicy, grilled meats.
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#3 - Chateau D'Aqueria 2016 Rosé - $18
A 'pretty' rosé with an attractive, strawberry-orange colour and an abundance of strawberry-cola and floral aromas on the medium intense nose and a blend of similar flavours with lifted cran-watermelon notes adding freshness to the spice-infused palate.
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#4 - Stag's Hollow Winery 2017 Albariño - $19
Still priced at under $20 and fulfilling that inner desire for something a little different, the Stag's Hollow Albariño is the wine you need tonight. A textural pleasure, this wine is both fleshy and firm with mouth-watering citrus and chubby melon characters coexisting beautifully. Sprinkle in some spice and exotic fruit notes and you have one complex, long-lasting white, perfect on its own or with your favourite white fish dish.
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#5 - Marchesi Antinori 2016 Bramito Chardonnay - $19
Far from a 'showy' or bombastic Chardonnay, Antinori's Bramito, meaning the call of a deer in Italian, is subtle on the pitaya and Meyer lemon scented nose and on the well-balanced, citrus'n'spice kissed, medium-bodied palate where oak and melon flavours play only a supporting role to the leading spice and acidity layers. 
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Top 15 Icon Wines of the Year

For 2018 we're returning to old format of the best of the best for our wines of the year awards. Here we are using a subjective approach taking into account availability, collectability and relevance in the world of wine. For simply the highest rated wines of the year please visit our Top Rated Wines of 2018 list on IconScores.ca. All Top 15 Icon Wines of the Year were released within the calendar year in the BC market. Reviews based on barrel samples were excluded.

#1 - Icon Wine of the Year

Black Hills Estate Winery 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon - $100
Both sensual and powerful on the nose with deep, minty dark chocolate, pure cassis liqueur, cordial cherry and nutmeg aromas. The ultra fine tannin palate is equally intense and layered with similar flavours of menthol, cocoa, cassis, kirsch and spice. 
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#2 - Bodegas Catena 2015 Catena Alta Chardonnay - $39
Produced from select lots from two of Catena's high altitude vineyards with a combination of gravelly and limestone soils. This is an enchanting and elegant Chardonnay with gentle oak influence throughout the gorgeous, easy-to-love nose of vanilla cream, apple, melon and stonefruit aromas and the mango, mineral and grapefruit flavoured, slightly off-dry palate. 
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#3 - Cassini Cellars 2015 Cabernet Franc - $40
Winemaker and proprietor Adrian Cassini has a knack for producing ripe, elegant Cabernet Franc, year-to-year. The 2015 is no exception, though, in truth, it is quite exceptional. It is both true to the variety with an enchanting combination of savoury-floral and blue fruit aromas and flavours and confidently delivers the signature menthol/Eucalyptus notes of the house, or, rather, its essentialCassini-ness.
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#4 - Liquidity Wines 2016 Reserve Chardonnay - $52
Sourced from a single block of the winery's Okanagan Falls home vineyard from 22 year old vines planted exclusively to clone 76, this full-bodied, Tropical fruit upside-down cake inspired Chardonnay is sensual and tart at the same time. Flavoured similarly to its Estate cousin with layers of papaya, peach, baked pineapple, macadamia nuts, French vanilla, oak, minerals and a touch of lingering spice.
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#5 - Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2015 Oldfield Reserve Cabernet Franc - $32
Another stellar vintage for Cabernet Franc, handled with precision and care by Tinhorn Creek who have helped elevate the prestige of the less-planted Cab in the Okanagan Valley. This reserve Franc spends a year in oak before being blended with 15% Merlot sourced from the same Diamond Back Vineyard along the Black Sage Bench, then it's returned to barrel for another 6 months prior to bottling. 
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2018 Icon Wine of the Year

For the first time in our 10 year history we have a winery with back-to-back wins: congratulations to Black Hills Estate Winery for raising the bar with their small-lot, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon!

In the past we have shied away from picking a small release wine to celebrate as our Icon Wine of the Year as it can be too hard for readers to track a bottle down, but we just couldn't ignore this exceptional Cabernet. The fortunate few who got their hands on it have liquid gold in their cellar, those lucky ducks!

The Wine

Black Hills Estate Winery 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
$100 - 50 cases - 14.2%

95pts


Sadly this beauty was limited to the Black Hills wine club only, and I may have never encountered a better reason to join such a club thanks to its out-of-this-world depth, rarely seen in a BC Cab. Both sensual and powerful on the nose with deep, minty dark chocolate, intense cassis liqueur, tangy cordial cherry and dusty nutmeg aromas. 

The ultra fine tannin palate is equally intense and layered with similar flavours of menthol, cocoa, cassis, kirsch and spice. The long, long finish offers additional notes of vanilla, toasted oak and sweet, blackberry acidity. Truly divine.


Previous Winners

  • 2017 - Black Hills 2015 Syrah and Painted Rock 2015 Syrah
  • 2016 - Cassini Cellars 2013 The Aristocrat
  • 2015 - Le Vieux Pin 2012 Équinoxe Syrah
  • 2014 - Painted Rock 2012 Red Icon
  • 2013 Stag's Hollow Winery 2010 Cachet No. 03
  • 2012 - Painted Rock Estate Winery 2011 Chardonnay
  • 2011 - Fairview Cellars 2009 The Wrath
  • 2010 - Stratus Vineyards 2007 Red
  • 2009 - Blackwood Lane Winery 2006 Alliance

Friday, November 9, 2018

Tuscany in Photos - Part 2: Montalcino

A recent trip to Italy provided me 5 days in Tuscany to sample the regional delights: wine, food and eye-catching physical beauty.

Montalcino: the home of Brunello. Need I truly write any more? Ok, I will. The ubiquitous description is "a beautiful, hilltop town in Tuscany." But, as all the towns (and roads, and country houses, and sheds and seemingly, even the trees) are all perched on hills, one must stretch beyond the prevalent caricature and go deeper. So here goes... Montalcino is a really beautiful hilltop town in Tuscany! I mean, just check-out these photos:







Thursday, November 8, 2018

Featured Wines: Antinori's Revenge

If the wine in this week's Featured Wines column tickle your fancy, you can order them directly from Jordan by email (JCarrier@everythingwine.ca) or find him in the Vintage Room of Everything Wine's newest location River District in South Vancouver (8570 River District Crossing).



Antinori's Revenge




Hi Everyone!
The 2015 vintages of Tignanello and Guado al Tasso are finally here, both boasting the best ratings they have ever received.
What can I say about Tig and Guado that hasn’t already been written? By now the legend/origin story of how Piero Antinori broke the outdated rules of Chianti Classico to make (arguably) the world’s first Supertuscan is well known, as is the story of how Piero’s dad split his property beside Sassicaia in Bolgheri between Piero (who made Guado al Tasso) and his wayward brother Lodovico, who stopped surfing the world’s beaches just long enough to start Ornellaia.
I could instead create my own stories about these wines? I could tell you that Tignanello emerged from a volcano fully formed, after which it came down the mountain and taught the villagers how to talk fancy and stuff olives. I could tell you that “Guado al Tasso” is actually ancient Egyptian for “Bowling For Dollars”, and the recipe for the wine served at these fundraisers under the Pyramids found its way to Piero Antinori via the Stargate. None of that is true, but I’m having fun and I wish it was.
Instead, let’s look at the wines themselves, icons of modern Tuscany that have never rested on their considerable laurels:

Antinori Tignanello 2015 Toscana
Reminding us what all the fuss was about in the first place, like when Radiohead released In Rainbows. Unlike last year’s traditionally hued 2014, which – like most Tigs – needs a nap before it can speak, this 2015 is delicious and full, if a tad angry on the long finish (try for yourself when we pour it this Saturday in the River District Vintage Room at 3pm). Not dissimilar to the stellar 2013 (except that it contains more Sangiovese), this 2015 is one of those rare Tigs that contain two historically opposing qualities: Longevity and Immediacy. The structure is primed for many spins around the sun but still drinks like a warm handshake now, with the now hallowed nose of sun-baked cherries and cedar leading to a deep, large centre and a spicy (if tannic) finish. All I could get was 15 6-packs, apologies if I run out again. 97 points Wine Spectator, 98 points James Suckling, 15 6-packs available, $112.99 +tax

Antinori Guado al Tasso 2015 Bolgheri Superiore
The price creeps up a tad every year, but Guado is still one of the best deals in Bolgheri, especially compared to its contemporaries (and neighbors) Sassicaia and Ornellaia. Cab dominant with Merlot and Franc supporting, roasted coffee and tobacco prop up the deep dark fruits, finishing with garrigue and pepper. Like Médoc on power pills. Probably approaching the sweet spot in a couple years, but gosh-darn delicious now, with gorgeous fruit and generous delivery.97 points Robert Parker, 97 points James Suckling, 4 wooden 6-packs available, $118.99 +tax

Happy Drinking!!

Postscript: I still have a couple boxes of the titanic 2013 Guado al Tasso (97 Suckling, 96 Parker), which is singing like a Tenor right now. You know, if you’re into, like, excellence and beauty and that kind of stuff.

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Tuscany in Photos - Part 1: San Gimignano

A recent trip to Italy provided me 5 days in Tuscany to sample the regional delights: wine, food and eye-catching physical beauty.

Photo Credit: Liam Carrier 2018
San Gimignano, which roughly translates into English as "No, my tower is highest!" is a gorgeous, hilltop (is there any other kind?), walled city dating back to the 3rd century. There are many towers built by competing aristocratic families, primarily during the 14th and 15th centuries, forming an unmistakable, beautiful landscape view-able from nearly all aspects of the surrounding countryside.

Photo Credit: Liam Carrier 2018

There are many excellent restaurants and cafes in the walled city (closed to outside vehicle traffic, BTW. You must park in one of the several public car parks and then walk into town - bring comfortable shoes). Two in particular I can recommend for both the quality of the food and the service are:

Le Vecchie Mura

Photo Credit: Liam Carrier 2018


Opens for dinner earlier than most of the other high-end restaurants to allow patrons to soak-in the stunning views from the outdoor, open-terrace section (nighttime view is still impressive, but the rolling hills of the surrounding countryside are best viewed in daylight).

As in most Italian restaurants I've visited you will find a simple, condensed menu with familiar-sounding dishes presenting with a unique twist and, generally, focused on a local specialty. Anything with wild boar is a must if you've never had it.

You will also find a reasonably priced wine list. In Italy, the wine in restaurants is only nominally marked-up and likely to be focused on the local DOC or DOCG specialties, along with a few selections from neighboring provinces. Take full advantage.

Bel Soggiorno

Similarly, Bel Soggiorno's menu is short and sweet. Try the suckling pig with a bottle of the Montenidoli Rosato and find a match made in heaven.

A few more photos of "San Gimi" to entice you:

Photo Credit: Liam Carrier 2018

Photo Credit: Liam Carrier 2018

Photo Credit: Liam Carrier 2018

Photo Credit: Liam Carrier 2018

Photo Credit: Liam Carrier 2018


Thursday, September 13, 2018

Get to know...Michal Mosny

Photo credit: Penticton Herald (with his wife Martina)
Michal Mosny
Vintner, Winemaker's Cut
Oliver, BC


Michal has been the consulting winemaker and general manager for Summerland's foreign-owned, Lunessence Winery and Vineyard, for the past two years and is shepherding his own label, Winemaker's Cut.


Get to know Michal and get to know the wines of Winemaker's Cut a bit better...


Key wines to try:
Sauvignon Blanc: 2016, 2017

Syrah: 2015, 2016


What do you enjoy most about making wine?
Winemaking is my life. I enjoy it as a whole, starting in the vineyard each winter/spring until bottling, labelling and sharing wine with friends and customers. I enjoy working with mother nature, learning to understand the vineyard and terroir. Especially enjoy to work with same vineyards for long time to see the differences between vintages, how our work in the vineyard reflects in wine and how we learn to understand each vineyard. And there is lots to learn every year and that is fascinating.

What inspired you to become a winemaker?
I was inspired by the fact, that there is some tradition in making wine in our family that goes back to France. I love the whole life around growing grapes then helping them to become wine. Vineyard is one of the most important part of winemaking to me. I believe that the decisions you make in the vineyard reflects in wine more than anything you do in the cellar. Winemaking is a different world, different matrix in the world of nature. Never ending search for that perfect formula for your wine or vineyard where the variables are constantly changing.

What causes you the most stress during harvest?
I am trying to enjoy each harvest without stress. But when it comes to important steps during harvest, fun is over, grapes and wine are on the first place. The biggest stress is mostly when the weather changes unexpectedly and we have to rush picking. 

What is your favourite and/or least favourite wine cliché?
That is tough because many favourite cliche became my least favourite over the years seeing how they are being miss-used by “marketing". But my most favourite always is: In wine is the truth.

Away from the cellar and vineyard, what’s your greatest passion in life?
Spending time with my wife Martina and our dog Milo and traveling, exploring new cultures, places, wines, food.

After a long day of work in the cellar, what do you turn to for refreshment?
A glass of wine that we are making. It is very rewarding and keeps me being motivated.

If you could take credit for one other BC wine on the market today, which would it be and why?
With all respect to other BC wines, being busy in the vineyard and cellar, I have absolutely no time to tour wineries or taste wines from other BC wineries. But my choice would be a wine from small-mid size winery owned by a passionate winemaker.

Of the wines in your portfolio, do you have a favourite food pairing to go with one of the wines?
Winemaker’s CUT Sauvignon Blanc 2016 and sable fish. Heaven in my mouth.

What do you think will be the next big trend in BC wine over the next few years?
For us, small wineries, vintners, the best is to stay focused on wine because at the end, that is all that matters. I wish wine will become free in Canada one day and not considered as “bad alcohol” that has to be regulated.

Screwcap or cork? What’s your preference?
It all depends on wine and the vineyard the grapes are coming from. I like to make wines that go under cork. But I like screwcup on some types of wine.

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Featured Wines: Under a Tuscan Salad

If the wine in this week's Featured Wines column tickle your fancy, you can order them directly from Jordan by email (JCarrier@everythingwine.ca) or find him in the Vintage Room of Everything Wine's newest location River District in South Vancouver (8570 River District Crossing).
Under a Tuscan Salad


Throughout the year I tend to collect small batches of yums – not a big enough buy to write a whole story about, but supremely tasty finds none the less. The time has come to show my cards and spill the beans: I’m sitting on a pretty tidy Tuscan Salad right now. I’ve Supertuscans and DOCG wines, some to drink and some to time-capsule, some are returning champions and some are newbies - since it’s a long list I’ll get right to part one:

Piaggia Il Sasso 2015 Carmignano DOCG
Is this Tig at less than half the price? Carmignano, that ancient village north of Florence, is less famous today than it was during the Renaissance, when it was the pastoral playground of the ruling Medici family.  Despite its local renown (it was the first Italian village where Cab was allowed under DOCG regs) its wines have been largely absent from our shores, which is a shame because here be dragons. Spark, sizzle and heft, 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon (similar to Tignanello’s make-up). Some Carmignanos want to turn you into a better, leaner soldier but Il Sasso just wants to give you a neck rub and hear about your day, the body here is more luscious than usual and the floral, dark fruited nose doesn’t require a degree in Latin to get. If I still have some, we’ll be pouring this on Saturday at 3pm in the River District Vintage Room if you’re curious. Herbs and cocoa powder round off the finish, holy cheese-balls 2015 was a great vintage there. 95 points Vinous, 3 6-packs available, $48.99 +tax

Canalicchio di Sopra 2013 Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
A returning champion (in boxing announcer voice): the “Magic From Montalcino”!! The “Presto right from the UNSECO Site”!! My allotment of this iconic, traditionally modern (modernly traditional?) Brunello shrinks every year, and every year my lucky International Cellars agent gets to hear what I think about that. Whereas many of the 2013 Brunellos are accessible a tad earlier than the 2012s, Canalicchio di Sopra does Opposite Day and proves to be a little tighter than last year. The intensity is nearly identical (perhaps more so), ripe red fruit with burnt orange and black twizzlers, but the supporting frame is poking out at the moment and will need a couple years’ education to unlock fully. I hate being this guy but I’ll have to limit this to one 6-pack each for the first 3 respondents. Seems fairest? 97 points Wine Spectator, 96 points Robert Parker, 3 6-packs available, $90.49 +tax

Canalicchio di Sopra Riserva 201, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Everything I just said times five. This Riserva doesn’t always come to BC, and those of us who get some dare not divulge the dirty deeds we did to get it. Built like a truck, decidedly longer maceration and darker pigment, here, everything would collapse on its own tent poles if it weren’t for that filament streak of acidity that elevates the body and electrifies the finish. Not sure why you’d throw dark cherries on the BBQ but that’s a start? Outstanding balance between Monument and Pleasure Dome. 96 points Wine Spectator, 2 wooden 6-packs available, $181.49 +tax

Rocco di Montegrossi Geremia 2013 Toscana IGT
A bear that was raised by ducks. An outstanding Chianti house in its own right (their sweet Vin Santo is to die for), Montegrossi grows Merlot and Cab (85/15) in the middle of Chianti Classico, ages it in French oak for 2 years, then unleashes it into society without any regard to public safety. Sweaty blackberries are fanning themselves with sprigs of rosemary, unaware that the reason they’re so hot is that they’re on fire. A classical minerality reminds you that this is indeed Tuscany, the plums and massive body tell you that this is indeed Merlot The Giant, and it sits wherever it wants. If quantities hold, we’ll be pouring this on Saturday at 3pm in the River District Vintage Room if you’d like to taste. 97 points Vinous, 2 cases available, $70.99 +tax

Casanova di Neri Cerretalto 2012 Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
I got one of only 2 3-packs that came into BC. The Cerretalto vineyard, east of Montalcino, forms an eastern-facing natural amphitheatre that cradles the morning sun, only to let the heat slowly dissipate as evening falls, and nights here are cold. The barely decomposed, iron-rich soil is so poor that the Sangiovese Grosso vines (Brunello in local parlance) can only muster sparse, small, straggly bunches of grapes, packed with super-human phenolics and fruit-weight. Things should not grow here, and the things that do should scare you. The downscale 2012 Brunello from Casanova di Neri placed #4 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 – this wine is several Bowser Castles up from that. The stressed vines throw everything they have at these grapes because they have to: crushed rocks, spiced cherries, orange tobacco - but the concentration, achieved entirely in the vineyard, is the stuff of legends. 98 points Wine Spectator, 98 points Robert Parker, 3 bottles available, $607.99 +tax

Friday, August 3, 2018

Winemaker Changes in the Okanagan


Two Okanagan Valley winemaker roles have recently been filled; Kelowna's Quails' Gate Winery have promoted from within and Naramata Bench's Moraine Winery have scooped-up the temporarily vocation-less Dwight Sick.

From the Quails' Gate Winery Media Release:

Quails’ Gate Winery is pleased to announce that Ross Baker has been promoted to the position of Winemaker. Ross has been an integral part of our winemaking team since 2013 and was a protégé of former winemaker Nikki Callaway.

A native of Kelowna, Ross completed his Bachelor of Science in Wine at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. Ross previously worked at Villa Maria Estates in Marlborough, New Zealand and also held positions locally at both Red Rooster Winery and Kettle Valley Winery.

Tony Stewart, CEO of Quails’ Gate winery, notes “We are very excited for Ross to assume the role of Winemaker. Ross has been part of the Quails’ Gate family for many years, and with his intimate knowledge of our vineyards and wine styles, is the perfect candidate to maintain the consistency and quality of our wines.”

Quails’ Gate is also happy to share that Kailee Frasch has assumed the role of Oenologist. Kailee started at the winery in 2016. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of British Columbia Okanagan, and a Certificate in Grape and Wine Technology from Brock University.

In the coming weeks, the Stewart family will announce its selection for the Director of Winemaking position. This new role will oversee winery operations at Quails’ Gate as well as the family’s Sonoma operations for Lake Sonoma Winery and Valley of the Moon.


From the Moraine Winery Medial Release:

Moraine Winery owners Oleg and Svetlana Aristarkhov, are very pleased to announce the appointment of Dwight Sick as their new winemaker and director of vineyard / winery operations. Dwight Sick, former winemaker, over the past 10 years, at award winning Stag’s Hollow Winery (awarded #5 small winery in Canadaat the 2018 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada), brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the operations of Moraine Winery. His style of winemaking is well suited to our winery and the fruit which we grow in our estate vineyards on the Naramata Bench.

The timing of Dwight joining forces with Moraine Winery couldn’t be happening at a better moment as the winery is currently completing a major reconstruction including an expanded winery production area, barrel cellar, tasting room and guest experience centre.

“I’m very excited to be stepping into this role at Moraine Winery. While I’ve only just had time to inspect the vineyards, taste through the wines and view the construction of the new winery
facilities, I couldn’t be happier with the situation. There is a strong team at work and they are doing great things at Moraine Winery. My hopes are to add to these successes and to help take the brand to a new level”.

There is little doubt that Dwight will be able to help take Moraine to a new level bringing his years of experience in the vineyard and cellar as well as his years pouring at trade and customer events building brand awareness and educating tasters - an underrated skill in the industry.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Free BCLDB Events Feature Wines of Argentina


From the Dana Lee Consulting media release:

The diversity and great value of Argentinean wines will be front and centre at provincial liquor stores this summer. From July 29th to September 1st, 2018, 60 BCLDB stores will have Argentinean wines on display, and there will be free consumer tastings at select BCLDB locations.

The BCLDB Signature Liquor Store at 39th & Cambie will host free consumer tastings on August 10th AND Friday, August 17th. Guests will enjoy samples of top Argentinean wines paired with complimentary traditional meat and vegetarian empanadas from Panaderia Latina Bakery.

There will also be free consumer tastings at select BC Liquor Stores. The events will take place on the weekend of August 3rd & 4th, as well as the weekend of August 24th & 25th.
Featured wines will include:


  • Alamos Winery Malbec Bodega Catena Zapata High Mountains Malbec
  • Bodegas Escorihuela1884 Estate Grown Malbec
  • Bodegas Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec
  • Doña Paula Estate Malbec
  • El Esteco Don David Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Luigi Bosca Malbec
  • Luis Segundo Correas Valle Las Acequias Malbec
  • Masi Passo Doble Malbec
  • Penaflor La Mascota Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Penaflor Unanime
  • Susana Balbo Wines BenMarco Malbec

In addition, Wines of Argentina is accepting entries for an online contest. The prize package includes 2 nights' accommodation at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler; 2 tickets to Cornucopia's flagship event, Crush Grand Tasting; and 2 tickets to the festival's Wines of Argentina seminar. Visit https://whistlercornucopia.com/contests/ to enter; contest closes August 31, 2018.


Wines of Argentina Consumer Tastings
Signature BCLDB Store at 39th & Cambie
5555 Cambie Street, Vancouver
Friday, August 10th AND Friday, August 17th 2018
2:00 - 6:00pm

Featured Wines: Heat Wave Wines

If the wine in this week's Featured Wines column tickle your fancy, you can order them directly from Jordan by email (JCarrier@everythingwine.ca) or find him in the Vintage Room of Everything Wine's newest location River District in South Vancouver (8570 River District Crossing).

Heat Wave Wines

Heat, heat, burning heat,
Melts the soles under my feet,
Look at this! It’s kinda neat:
I’m frying an egg on the street!

Looking for delicious ways
to temper, soothe and cool the blaze
and chill throughout this summertime?
Well, looky here folks, I have wine:

Rippon Mature Vine Riesling 2016, Central Otago, New Zealand
I’ve been waiting for this wine to arrive for a couple months, if it’s as good as the 2015 then this may be my unofficial Wine Of The Summer. The vineyards around Wanaka Lake enjoy a more temperate climate than the rest of the South Island’s Central Otago region, and the Mills family takes advantage of this extra heat by letting the 35+-year-old Riesling vines get a bit of extra hang-time – though not to the point of Botrytis. Organic and dry-farmed, the crushed grapes are left on their own lees (from indigenous yeasts) for over 3 months, adding more comforting texture than a shag-carpeted van filled with bunnies and hair-dryers. Green apple, honeysuckle and beeswax abound. The ever-so-eensy-weensy off-dry finish (hey, you deserve it) is tempered by a sobering streak of tartaric acid, striking the right balance between Disneyland and the Dewey Decimal System: it can keep for a decade and get a good education but it’s hella fun right now. 94 points Robert Parker, 3 cases available, $49.99 +tax

Chateau Le Puy Rose-Marie 2016, Bordeaux, France
A Rosé that isn't. Ever wonder why the Brits call Bordeaux “Claret”? I’m gonna tell you anyway: because it wasn’t this colour when they named it that. Back when the marriage of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine joined Bordeaux and England to form the Angevin Empire, the wines of Bordeaux weren’t red, they were a deep, electric pink, just like this rare offering from Chateau Le Puy’s winemaker/shaman/nut-bar Jean-Pierre Amoreau. The 13th Century English had never had a steady supply of good wine before, and they excitedly named this dark Rosé “Claret”, after the intense “éclair” of colour. Over subsequent centuries the wines reddened and darkened but the name stuck, even as the original Claret style passed into legend. But did it?  Mr. Amoreau, already renowned for his pre-20th-century methods and style, makes this robust, floral, beautifully rustic throwback by running off Merlot juice during fermentation (saignée method, for those taking notes) and keeping it in old oak for almost a year. I’m loathe to use the term “natural wine”, but this wine fits the bill: no added sulphites, no pesticides, farmed by horse – to my knowledge the only electricity involved is in the bottling. I’ve even heard stories of Jean-Pierre running through his vineyards on a full moon to ward off evil spirits (I guess it worked, though, as this wine contains no evil spirits). Try the Claret that started it all (and serve at cellar temperature, not fridge-cold) 2 wooden cases available, No Evil Spirits, $78.49 +tax

Passopisciaro “Contrada P” 2015, Sicily, Italy
Need a summer fun buddy? Meet Nerello Macalese, an expressive, light-bodied grape that thinks you should totally break up with Pinot Noir because Nerello is prettier, more fun and will love you way more. It’s true, the wines are way friendlier and filled with a joie-de-vivre that the studious Pinot often lacks, but the catch is that you have to move to an active Volcano, because Nerello Mascalese is only grown on the slopes of Mt. Etna. This Cru (Contrada) called Porcaria (P) is widely considered to be the best vineyard on that slope: the thin layers of hardened lava crunch under your feet and the extra light reflected off the Mediterranean gives spunk and ripeness to the Nerello grapes, even at the sky-high altitude of 2100ft. Brilliant red fruits abound here, swirling with baking spices and quinine, the ripe 2015 vintage boosted the body and the powerful, time-bomb finish. This is Etna royalty, the Queen Of The Volcano, and I’m stoked that it’s finally available. 94 points Wine Spectator, 4 3-packs available, $118.99 +tax

Stay cool out there, folks, and Happy Drinking!

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Vote! The Best of BC Wine Country Awards


From the Wine BC's media release:

BRITISH COLUMBIA - The Best of BC Wine Country Awards are back - a crowd-sourced online survey curated by the BC Wine Institute launches today inviting the public to vote on their favourite BC wine experiences from specific “Best of” categories related to BC wine and food tourism.

From Monday, July 23 through August 17, the Best of BC Wine Country Awards will generate authentic recommendations from the public on categories including: Best of BC Wine; Best of BC Place; and Best of BC Experience. Within these, 12 sub-categories are offered for each of BC’s unique wine regions!

“We are excited to bring back the Best of BC Wine Country Awards for a second year to encourage visitors to share their favourite experiences while touring BC wineries this summer,” notes Maggie Anderson Communications and Content Director of the BC Wine Institute. “Whether it’s for the experience, the award-winning wines, the local food, the people or the scenic views, we want to know first-hand from winery-goers what keeps bringing them back.”

Integrated this year are BC wine give-aways, offering voters the chance to experience the Best of BC Wine Country by winning one of three prizes: (1) Best of BC Wine gift basket; (2) An overnight stay at a Best of BC Winery Accommodation or (3) Dinner for two at a Best of BC Winery Restaurant. All they need to do is vote and share their excitement for #BestofBC18 on social media.

“Here in BC, they are essentially the people’s choice awards of wine. Winners are selected by consumers – not wine experts.” says Claire Newell, travel expert and best-selling author of Travel Best Bets. “My friends and I voted last year over a glass of our favorite BC wine with our tablets or smartphones in-hand. I expect more of my friends will join this year because there are prizes to win!”

With 276 BC grape wineries open to the public, more than 74 winery restaurants and 16 regional wine trails throughout the province, download the Wines of British Columbia new Trip Planner App and start exploring the award-winning wines available in your backyard. Have your say in what makes BC a world-class wine destination, and vote for your top picks for a chance to experience the Best of BC Wine Country.

Awards are presented for the Okanagan Valley, Similkameen Valley, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and other regions including: Thompson Valley; Shuswap; Lillooet; Kootenays; Prince George. Winners will be published on WineBC.com and #BestOfBC18 prize winners will be announced on September 13.

Vote for your Best of BC Wine Country and enter to win #BestofBC18 here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/bestofBCwine18

Download the Wines of British Columbia Trip Planner app by searching “BC Wine” in either the App Store or Google Play store or click the links directly for: Android or iPhone.

Check out last year’s Best of BC Wine Country Award winners for trip inspiration here: bestof.winebc.com

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Featured Wines: Back Up The Truck!

If the wine in this week's Featured Wines column tickle your fancy, you can order them directly from Jordan by email (JCarrier@everythingwine.ca) or find him in the Vintage Room of Everything Wine's newest location River District in South Vancouver (8570 River District Crossing).


Back Up The Truck!: Summer Edition


As Summer signals that it is indeed here for a bit – I think it really means it this time – I’d like to bring your attention to a couple wines of great power, great points and reduced subtleties. These are bunker-busters, large, loud and luscious, and they are both politely under $75. This summer is gonna be swell.


Fantini Edizione Cinque Autoctoni 2015 Italy
A New World wine from the Old World. If your 93-year-old aunt texted you “omg that rave was so lit” you’d feel weird about it, and that’s because “old-doing-new” rarely works out, except for when it does: Edizione is on fire, I’ve already sold through 20 cases of it and the buzz hasn’t subsided. Edizione seems almost specifically engineered to anger Italian traditionalists: Not only does it refuse to specify a village or DOC like most Italian wines, it’s sourced from several regions (Abruzzo, Puglia predominantly), made from indigenous (“Autoctoni”) grapes that are almost never blended together (Montepulciano, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Malvasia Nera and Negroamaro), and to cause maximum consternation they age it all in blasphemous new American oak, which Italian winemakers employ about as often as snakes use chopsticks. If an Amarone stuck a fork in a light socket, that’d be a starting point. The Negroamaro gives dark, stewed fruit, the Montepulciano builds the frame, the Primitivo brings power, spice and precious, precious alcohol. Layered, balanced and electric. By sheer weight alone this’ll cellar for decades, but what then? I don’t know what this becomes and I like it too much now to wait. The bottle is huge, like Hillside Select huge, and the reason I mention this is that it feels like a one-litre bottle but it ain’t. 99 points Luca Maroni*, Best Italian Red 2018 (Luca again), 6 6-packs available, $53.99 +tax

Montes Purple Angel 2015 Colchagua Valley - Chile
The Carmenere-As-Big-As-A-Bear returns. I’ve written about Purple Angel for so many successive vintages that I’m not sure what I can newly provide other than knock-knock jokes, but it’s enjoying an exceptionally good vintage in this 2015 offering, which could be a personal best for one of Chile’s most delicious ambassadors. Chocolate wrapped in a cherry wrapped in a plum wrapped in an anvil, this is maximalism liquefied, and it’s drinking great now with grilled meat but will positively sing when the training wheels come off in a couple years. Noted Hyperbolist James Suckling gave this 2015 99 points, and although he treats each wine like it’s the first one he’s tasted after a year in prison, it’s notable that this is the highest score he’s given Purple Angel. Not many other reviewers have gotten to this vintage yet, but if patterns hold you can reasonably expect Parker to come in 2 points lower and Wine Spectator one point lower than that. This vintage is not to be missed. 99 points James “Gulp” Suckling, 6 6-packs available, $74.99 +tax

We’ll be pouring both of these 99-point blockbusters in out River District Vintage Room at 3pm this Saturday, but until then,

Happy Drinking!!

Thursday, May 31, 2018

News: BCLDB's South African Feature Includes Consumer Tastings


From the WOSA Media Release

This summer is the perfect time to discover the great value of wines from South Africa. Throughout June, the BCLDB will focus on the country with in-store tastings and displays, as well as a FREE consumer tasting. The tasting will take place Friday, June 8th 2018 at the Park Royal BCLDB Signature Liquor Store, and will pair South African wine samples with cheese and charcuterie from Granville Island's Oyama Sausage Co.

South African wines are particularly well suited to the summer activity circuit of barbecues, ball games, and weekends at the cottage. The BCLDB will highlight some great options with displays in 60 locations and free in-store tastings. On June 8th, consumers will also be treated to South African wine samples and tasty bites from Oyama in the fresh new Park Royal store. Wines will include:



Wines of South Africa Consumer Tasting
Friday, June 8 2018
3:00 - 7:00pm
BCLDB Park Royal Signature Liquor Store
Park Royal North, West Vancouver