Liquidity's New Wine Tasting Program

Okanagan Falls' Liquidity Wines has rolled out their new "Equity Tasting Club" which will allow consumers to sample wines prior to ordering. Those who sign up for the $75 fee and a commitment to purchase 1+1/2 cases per year will be able to select 6 sample wines packaged in cute 200ml bottles to help you decide what to order.

It's a novel and fun idea for the consumer. I, and I'm sure many BC wineries, will be fascinated to learn if the club proves to be financially viable over the long run with so much specialty packaging and bottling involved in the concept. Time will tell. Get in early if you want to give it a go in case it doesn't last.

Summary from the winery:

MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES

• Try before you buy
• Free Shipping
• Special library releases each year
• Enjoy a 10% discount at Liquidity Bistro
• 2 complimentary tickets to member events
• The option to PRE ORDER your wine before it is released
• Advanced release schedule for the wines each year
• Detailed winemakers notes on each wine

TASTING CLUB COMMITMENT: ANNUAL FEE $75

• 18 bottles minimum purchase each year
• 6 bottles must be from our Reserve Tier of wine

Recent Liquidity Wines Reviews:

Liquidity Wines 2016 Reserve ChardonnayTasting Notes: 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. Drink now-2021.

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Liquidity Wines 2016 Estate ChardonnayTasting Notes: Sourced from the winery's Okanagan Falls home vineyard from a mixture of clones and vine ages, this Chardonnay is similarly flavoured to the winery's elegant Reserve, with a little less body and a touch less perceptible residual sugar (though the stats tell a different story; 2.2 g/l VS. 1.7 g/l. 

The subtle nose and mouth-watering, full-ish palate are graced with the aromas and flavours of papaya, peach, sweet pineapple, macadamia nuts, quiet vanilla, minerals and a hint of gingered spice. Drink now-2021.

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 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca

Featured Wines: Trade Jabs and Napa Cabs

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).

Trade Jabs and Napa Cabs

By Jordan Carrier

If wine could talk, it’d probably say “dude, leave me out of it!”

I’ve been asked more than a few times this past week if I thought that collectors should quickly buy up Napa wines, lest the current rumblings about tariffs erupt in a tit-for-tat trade war with our southern neighbours. It’s not unheard of for wine to become a hostage in these disputes, as our recent spat with our neighbours to the east has shown, so it’s certainly plausible that Canada, in retaliation for tariffs imposed on our southbound exports, could make American wines cost even more than they do now.

I think that’s pretty unlikely though, even if retaliations escalate. American wine comes from states that voted decisively against the current President, so hurting grape growers in those places won’t really cost him politically, he’d go from unpopular to unpopular with no electoral consequence. China, by contrast, would reportedly take aim on agricultural products like soy and grain, grown in swing states that would wield more influence if they were angry, and I suspect that we – if drawn in - would also strategically target imports from Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania rather than wine from Washington, Oregon and California.

So my final answer would be: Don’t buy Napa Cabs for fear they’ll double in price, buy these Napa Cabs because Jordan only got a tiny bit and he’s gonna sell out and then you’ll be sad. Here are some legendary Cabs, new into the Vintage Room:

News: BC Wine Institute responds to CFIA Blended in Canada Wine Labelling update

March 12, 2018 - From a BCWI Media Release The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) today announced the approval of new wine label designations to replace “Cellared in Canada”, effective immediately. Replacing the current label designation “Cellared in Canada from imported and/or domestic wines” is “international blend from imported and domestic wines”, for imported wines. For domestically-produced wines, the new term is “international blend from domestic and imported wines”. British Columbia Wine Institute’s (BCWI) Board of Directors’ request to the Canadian Vintners Association (CVA) for a review of the “Cellared in Canada” Interim Order contributed to the CVA-led industry-wide consultation in October 2016, and CFIA’s consultation with the public and industry in June 2017. BCWI supports the update of labelling for BC-produced blended wine. Truth-in-labelling and authenticity certification are cornerstones to our BC VQA Wine program. A wine label tells consumers what they are buying and what they are drinking. It is important the label accurately identifies the origin of the wine. To view the new CFIA labelling requirements for wine, click here For FAQs on the new designation, click here For the full report of CFIA’s consultation, click here For the CVA news release, click here Sincerely,

Miles Prodan President / CEO