Monthly Picks for October '22

In Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving in October. For the US, it's November. The origins too, are different, but the modern-day traditional meal and cultural experience are quite similar: family, friends and food. Our Monthly Picks list for October is focused on perfect pairings for the ultimate Thanksgiving meal, no matter when you celebrate it.

With Turkey

SpearHead Winery 2021 Pinot Noir Rosé - $25

A rich and opulent rosé made from Pinot Noir grapes, opening with a peachy-strawberry scented nose followed by a refreshing, yet, plump palate of similar flavours, additional mineraly, grapefruit notes and enough cranberry acidity to keep the finish light and crisp. Just about everything you want from a BC blush. 

Full Review

Winemaker's Cut 2020 Bohemian Pinot Noir - $37

An unrefined, opaque Pinot Noir with subtle layers of cherry, wild sage and sweet herbs on the compelling, earthy nose. The juicy palate offers more prominent fruit with flavours of black raspberries, plums and black cherries supported nicely by the presence of  lightly toasted oak. A touch more acid would do wonders to the overall balance, but there's plenty to enjoy, on its own or paired with Thanksgiving turkey.

Full Review

With Ham

La Frenz Winery 2021 Sémillon - $23

Look for aromas and flavours of grapefruit, honeydew, kiwi, mango skin, lemongrass, and Asian pear on the fragrant nose and the mouth-watering, yet, oily palate of this Naramata Bench sourced Sémillon. Ready to go now of hold for the potential of further evolution. 

Full Review

Winemaker's Cut 2020 Bohemian Riesling - $26

A vibrant and well-balanced Riesling with an expressive nose of pineapple, nectarine and unpasteurized honey aromas followed by an off-dry, yet, dry-finishing palate with similar fruit flavours and additional notes of tangy peach, lemon-lime and a hint of ginger. A refreshing wine to be served on its own or as a nice counter-balance to hard, white cheeses like Gruyère. 

Full Review

Monthly Picks for September '22

For September we're showcasing some recently reviewed "Big Reds". "What makes a red wine 'big'?" you might ask. Well, let's discuss that...

Generally, a big red has at least 3 of the following:

- Robust tannins (whether earned or otherwise, but hopefully earned)

- Depth of flavour (think, layers upon layers)

- Extraction (a density and or intensity, preferably due to traditional methods like starting with ripe fruit or bleeding or elévage and not due to technology)

- A hefty price tag (comes with the territory - only you can imply value, or lack thereof)

Gold Hill Winery 2018 Merlot (Golden Mile Slope) Okanagan Valley - $43

A big Merlot with a beautiful, intense nose of ripe, mixed-berries and rich, savoury notes offering impressive depth and opulence. The intensity continues on the plump, high-alcohol palate, though, the luscious layers of plum, black cherry, mocha, toasted oak and cigar box keep the balance in check and the finish tasting smooth where refined tannins and a touch of spice linger.

Full Review

Gold Hill Winery 2017 Cabernet Franc (Golden Mile Slope) Okanagan Valley - $43

Already peaking at 5 years of age, this is a refined, yet, intense Cabernet Franc with an expressive nose of crushed blossoms, violets, vanilla and lots of brambly fruit. Smooth on the palate, this medium-tannin wine from the newly designated Golden Mile Slope region of the Southern Okanagan offers layers of ripe, verging-on-pruny fruit and elegant, savoury flavours without ever feeling heavy or over extracted.

Full Review

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2020 Merlot - $32

The Burrowing Owl Merlot is back to its intense, yet, elegant self with the newly released 2020 vintage which elevates the label's rich'n'racy style to more familiar heights. Always a beautiful blend of blackened berries, licorice-spiced oak and punchy acidity, the 2020 offers more depth and length on the palate and finish with added notes of eucalyptus, cooking spice and iron.

Full Review

Uko Select Vineyards 2018 Riserva Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza) Argentina - $18

An under $20 Cabernet Sauvignon with this much depth and balance should not be possible, but the Uko Select Vineyards brand makes it happen, year-to-year. What the wine lacks in refinement, it makes up for in character and intensity without resorting to tons of added sugar for a faux-richness like too many Cabernet of the same price range from California. The Uko is dense and intense without feeling over-extracted or heavy.

Full Review

Monthly Picks for August '22

For August our monthly picks tell the tale of two Chardonnay. Both are produced by the same winery using the same (general) methods and most intriguingly, using the same clone of Chardonnay (95). The major difference is the location and, as in real estate, location is everything.

Get your hands on both of these Chardonnay and do your own side-by-side comparison. Send us your feedback on Twitter: /IconWines 

SpearHead Winery 2020 Saddle Block Chardonnay - $30

Sourced from their home vineyards, this is an uber-expressive, operatic wine with over-the-top intensity and lots of tangy acidity on the tropical'n'melon flavoured palate. It won't be for everyone, especially those expecting the predictable comfort of a partially-oaked, refined Chardonnay. Ready to go now.

Full Review

SpearHead Winery 2022 Duncan Vineyard Chardonnay - $30

Offers some of the tropical fruit notes of its East Kelowna-sourced, portfolio cousin, the Saddle Block Chardonnay, but otherwise stands on its own with a unique blend of elegant and party-boat characters. Fruit cup and a medley of ripe and tangy orchard aromas and flavours pair nicely with a touch of minerality, subtle savoury elements and a gentle kiss of oak. Finish is long and well balanced.

Full Review

Introducing: The BC Wine Journal

 

The BC Wine Journal is a fun way to remember the wines you have enjoyed so you never need say again, “We had this great wine last week… But I can’t remember what it was!”

Create your own wine album by saving the labels of your favourite wines and making a few key notes on where you found the wine, what you thought of it and the answer to the all-important question your future self will ask, "Should I buy this again?"

Brought to you by the team behind the IconWines and IconScores websites. Available now on Amazon!

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1778249744

Monthly Picks for July '22

 For July we are showcasing a few new releases from Naramata Bench's iconic winery La Frenz.

La Frenz Winery 2021 Chardonnay - $24

Always a crowd-pleaser, except for only the most fervent of the ABC militia, the 2021 La Frenz Chardonnay holds to the winery's "Peaches and Cream" style delivery comfort food in-a-glass. There's a bit more (and very welcomed) stone fruit acidity on the well balanced and approachable palate with juicy, fruit-cup characters throughout and a nice combination of bright, orchard fruit and creamy, baked pear flavours on the satisfying finish. Drink now-2025.

Full Review

La Frenz Winery 2021 Sémillon - $23

Look for aromas and flavours of grapefruit, honeydew, kiwi, mango skin, lemongrass, and Asian pear on the fragrant nose and the mouth-watering, yet, oily palate of this Naramata Bench sourced Sémillon. Ready to go now of hold for the potential of further evolution. Drink 2022-2026.

Full Review

La Frenz Winery 2021 Alexandria - $23

An off-dry, rich blend of 50% Muscat and 50% Schonburger sourced from the winery's Naramata Bench vineyards. Uber-ripe and creamy on the exotic fruit and melon scented nose with a touch of candied fruit on the well balanced palate which offers relief from the residual sugar by way of a refreshing wave of fresh peach acidity. Enjoy on a sunny patio with friends (and be prepared to open a 2nd bottle). Drink now-2024.

Full Review

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2022 IconWines.ca

Monthly Picks for June '22

With Summer around the corner and Spring cleaning wrapping-up, our patios and decks are getting ready to be occupied once more. It's rosé season! This month's picks are dedicated to the many fine blush wines produced in BC and already on the market waiting to be taken home to the sunny, outdoor space of your choosing.

SpearHead Winery 2021 Pinot Noir Rosé (Okanagan Valley) BC - $25

A rich and opulent rosé made from Pinot Noir grapes, opening with a peachy-strawberry scented nose followed by a refreshing, yet, plump palate of similar flavours, additional mineraly, grapefruit notes and enough cranberry acidity to keep the finish light and crisp. Just about everything you want from a BC blush. Drink now-2024.

Full Review

Quails' Gate Estate Winery 2020 Lucy's Block Rosé (East Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC - $30

Quails' Gate's premium blush, Lucy's Block, is a subtle and mineraly rosé which gets its light salmon colour from brief skin contact of its Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes (a 70-30% split, respectively) sourced from the winery's East Kelowna vineyard. Though delicate and pretty, this is a very refreshing rosé with layers of rose water, fresh red fruit, steel and lime zest aromas and flavours and impressively low alcohol. Drink now-2023.

Full Review

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2022 IconWines.ca

The Dos and Don'ts of Wine Festivals

By Jordan Carrier from Everything Wine, River District

After a long drought, tasting season is once again upon us: Top Drop is doing its second night tonight and the Vancouver International Wine Festival is next week. Since many of us are understandably rusty at these events, I thought I’d repost a helpful list of Dos and Don’ts I wrote a couple years ago. I’ll be back soon with amazing new wines to show you, but until then: 

DOS AND DON’TS OF WINE FESTIVALS 

DO Explore. You’re here to explore and discover new wines, so don’t make a beeline to the stuff you already know. Even if you don’t care for a lot of the esoteric choices, 1) you didn’t have to buy the bottle and 2) now you know. 

DON’T Wear Fragrances. We can all smell amazing, but everyone came to sniff good wine, not perfume/cologne/aftershave. Nothing roils a wine geek more than finding that the Petit Sirah they’ve waited for weeks to try shows notes of Axe Body Spray. 

DO Spit. The spittoons are there to help. There are hundreds of wines being poured and you aren't magic. Remember that they can’t legally serve you if you’ve rendered yourself liquid, so staggering up to a booth saying “gimme moas shpensive one” won’t produce the desired result, and getting kicked out of Wine Fest isn’t classier than getting ejected from The Roxy. Or so I'm told.  

DON’T Sport Spit. We’ve all seen those dudes who can hit the spittoon from 20 paces away, like a llama. Please don’t try to do that. If you fail, it’s a disaster. If you succeed, it’s still bizarre. Get a new superpower. Try parkour. Anything.

DON’T be a Booth Hog. There are probably lots of folks behind you, so when you finally get up to your desired booth, it’s not the best time to start telling the winemaker about the time you went to this winery and it was great but there was this dog there and you like dogs but you saw almost the exact same dog earlier in the city with a white patch on the left eye instead of the right eye but come to think of it that could be because of the mirror. Get your glass filled and then step to the side to let others get theirs, and watch your karma grow and blossom into a karma flower. 

DO Have a safe ride home. No jokes here, get home safe, it is literally the most important thing you’ll do during Wine Fest. Both Skytrain lines end a 5 minute walk from the Convention Centre, where Wine Fest is. Find someone on the train who also has purple teeth and compare notes. 

That’s it! Have a great time, and Happy Drinking! 

Contact Jordan directly by email (JCarrier@everythingwine.ca) or find him in the Vintage Room of Everything Wine's Vancouver location River District at 8570 River District Crossing.

Monthly Picks for May '22

We're bringing back our Monthly Picks series to highlight different themes or regions of recently tasted/reviewed wines. Availability notes are listed in the details of the reviews.

For May '22 we are highlighting refreshing white wines for Spring.

SpearHead Winery 2021 White Pinot Noir (Okanagan Valley) BC - $28

This white is an absolute gem; rich, refreshing and unique. Made from the winery's signature grape, Pinot Noir, this beautiful, fleshy, Blanc de Noirs can attribute its lack of colour to the limiting of skin contract during the crush. Both full bodied and vibrant with white peach acidity and unctuous fruit characters of honeydew melon and papaya. Pair with a white fish dish or try it at a Mother's Day brunch with your eggs Benedict. Drink now-2022.

Full Review

Stoneboat Vineyards 2020 Pinot Gris (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC - $20

A delicious, effervescent and lively Pinot Gris with the pleasing flavour of sweet, fresh peaches nicely contrasting the refreshing minerality on the (slightly) off-dry palate. Finishes with crisp citrus notes making it a perfect companion to seafood dishes. Drink now-2023.

Full Review

Spier 2020 Signature Chenin Blanc (W.O. Western Cape) South Africa - $15

A crisp, clean and straight-forward Chenin Blanc from the Western Cape with a touch of RS on the refreshing, citrus and exotic fruit flavoured palate and with a generous nose of honeydew melon, Golden Delicious apple, peach pit and macadamia nut aromas. Ready to go now. Drink now-2023.

Full Review

...And We're Back!

After a nearly two-year hiatus to write a (yet-to-be-published) novel (no, not about the wine world at all) IconWines is back at it and ready to showcase the amazing wines of British Columbia. I will continue to include a random selection of reviews from my favourite wine regions of the world to, hopefully, provide context and (relative) comparison.

Now based in Okanagan Falls, I look forward to visiting the many new wineries that have come into production over the past few years and to revisit the established pros of the business.

Along with the new digs, I have a new email address as well, so to contact me at IconWines please use: iconwinesbc@gmail.com

Yours in wine,

Liam Carrier