Part 2 of our Olympic wine pairing starts with a busy day for the Canada Men's Curling team who take on both Great Britain and the USA. You're gonna need something to sip slowly over many hours. No better match than the Painted Rock Estate Winery 2010 Red Icon which will evolve in the glass over time. Time you will have.
Day 11 - Defence Begins
No disrespect meant to the likes of Norway and Austria, but Canada truly begins their defence of the 2010 Ice Hockey gold medal on Day 11 against Finland. The Finns have a great team including, possibly, the best trio of goalies in the tournament. Canada will have to score early and play a puck-possession game to win if they want to finish first in their pool with a win over the Finns. Big time confidence will be needed, the type of confidence displayed by the full-bodied, full-throttle, inky-purple hued Perseus Winery 2010 Select Lots Cabernet Sauvignon.
Day 12 - Mountain Diving
If only the Men's Team Large Hill ski jumping event meant that the whole team jumped at the same time- what an amazing sight that would be. Maybe that's a new event they can add for the 2018 games in Pyeongchang: synchronized ski jumping. Precision, balance and chutzpah. Makes me think of the SynchroMesh Wines 2012 Thorny Vines Vineyard Riesling.
Day 13 - Short Track
February 18th sees a busy day at the Short Track Speed Skating rink where Canada can always count on collecting a few medals and where we see North Korea's limited Olympic sports funding applied. The action will be fast and furious which calls for a wine that won't distract or detract from the special of speeding around a hockey rink-sized ice sheet at 50+ kph. Go with the still available JoieFarm 2012 Rosé.
Day 14 - Stuffy Toss
In the world of Figure Skating, women are still referred to as "Ladies". Can anyone explain why? I guess 'women' play hockey and 'ladies' figure skate? Good grief. In any case, on Day 14 the women take centre stage with their short program routines which calls for a pairing with an elegant and refined wine like the Perseus Winery 2010 Select Lots Cabernet Sauvignon.
Day 15 - Solid Gold
Both the Women's Curling and Ice Hockey gold medals will be handed out on Day 15. Canada has a great shot at competing for both championships. Let's go with a hoot and a holler for both events with the Fairview Cellars 2011 Two Hoots.
Day 16 - Slip Sliding Away
The women take to the slopes on day 16 in both the Ski Cross and Slalom events. The perfect pairing is both feminine, graceful and powerful: Le Vieux Pin 2011 "Cuvée Violette" Syrah.
Day 17 - Best-ies
The last full day of competition is absolutely packed with events ranging from Cross Country Skiing to the Bronze Medal Match in Men's Ice Hockey. Back at the athlete's village, most of the Olympians will be done with their competitions and spending time on other pursuits... you know, making 'friends'. Calls for the Bonamici Cellars 2012 Sauvignon Blanc-Viognier.
Day 18 - Closing The Show
What better way to close the 2014 Winter Olympics than a pairing with our most recent, and still available, Icon Wine of the Year: Stag's Hollow Winery 2010 Cachet No. 03. Ideally, it will be a pairing of excellence and not one of condolence. Either way, you can count on this wine to put a smile on your face.
Hopefully, 18 days of competition will bring us plenty positive examples of hard work, fair play and the triumph of the human spirit against adversity. That's what I hope this Winter Olympics will be remembered for and hope's spring is eternal.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2014 IconWines.ca
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