Colour 2012 Highlights

Each September the BC Wine Institute holds its Fall tasting of VQA wines. The event, Colour, attracts a large contingent of VQA member wineries ranging from the big conglomerates like the many Vincor properties to the small Mom and Pop shops and everything in-between. The event has an afternoon Trade and Media component and a consumer-friendly, evening food-pairing tasting that always draws a great crowd. It's hard to taste all the wines on offer, however, reporting on what was tasted and having sought-out mostly new releases, below are my notes on a few gems worth seeking out.

Most Memorable White:
Painted Rock Estate Winery 2011 Chardonnay - $30
Absolutely gorgeous nose that will make you smile. Warm, sweet fruit and light brioche. Harmonious palate builds from a whisper on the entry to a full-bodied crescendo of orchard-fruit-goodness and a long, long finish. Very impressive.

Most Memorable Red:
Black Hills Estate Winery 2010 Syrah - $30
A nice surprise considering the cooler vintage and pedestrian 2009 release. Nice floral notes on the nose add complexity to the concentrated red fruit and pepper. Palate's balance is impressive with all components fitting nicely; good fruit, oak influence, mouth-watering acid and good length.

Best Value Wine:
Arrowleaf 2010 Pinot Noir - $17.99
Contender for best value wine of the year! A delicate nose of cherry cola followed by a light bodied, yet intense and fresh palate of red fruit and forest floor. Straight forward, no piece out of place. Delicious.

The Best of the Rest (A-Z):
Black Hills Estate Winery 2010 Nota Bene - $54
Fantastic concentration and depth. Deep, seductive, dark fruit on the nose with a full-bodied, fruit'n'herb palate to follow. Seems to embrace the cool vintage conditions rather than combat them.

Fairview Cellars 2010 The Bear - $34.90
Despite the success of the following single-variety wine, the best way to manage a cool vintage when trying to produce a hearty red wine is via a creative blend of components. Winemaker Bill Eggert succeeds again with his signature Bordeaux blend and similar to the Nota Bene, embraces the cool vintage conditions.

Fairview Cellars 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon - $39.90
There's just something about Fairview's terroir and vineyard program that squeezes every once of available ripeness from nature to produce the style of Cabernet Sauvignon folks are willing to pay good money to get. For 2010 we're at the lean and masculine end of the spectrum. But an herbal mess? No. A ripe Cab with delicious flavours? Yes - but you'll need to be patient. 2-3 years at least.

Fort Berens 2010 Meritage - $26.99
Rather different style than the fruit-forward, ready upon release 2009. The 2010 will need to lay quietly in your cellar for a while to mellow out, but, it deserves to be there. Super dry palate with big tannins and an austere style are the biggest changes. Think Right Bank Bordeaux

Fort Berens 2010 Cabernet Franc - $26.99
Similar to the Meritage, the 2010 Cabernet Franc has been made in an ultra-dry, austere style with big tannins that need some time to chill. Lean, focused with a great texture on the palate.

McWatters Collection 2009 Meritage - $29.99
Another stunning, full-bodied and concentrated Meritage from the hot 2009 vintage. Classic New World Meritage nose with ripe berry fruit dominant. Palate is juicy, full of flavour, well balanced and the wine finishes long.

Moon Curser 2010 Border Vines - $25
This wine stands out from its Meritage peers with a unique blend that includes Carmenere (35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 7% Carmenere, 7% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot) and prune notes on the nose. Rich, ripe, chewy tannins and a little extra body from a splash of RS. A big blend.

Moon Curser 2010 Dead of Night - $38
Another proprietary blend with 47% Tannat and 53% Syrah all sourced from the Osoyoos Bench producing a rich and intriguing wine. Again prune notes help distinguish it from the pack, but, will they be to everyone's liking?

Osoyoos Larose 2009 Petales d'Osoyoos - $25
Consistant with the house style of massive tannins and a dense character of dark fruit, licorice and toasted oak. Ripe tannins and fruit, good structure and well balanced. The best Petales in years.

Osoyoos Larose 2008 Le Grand Vin - $45
The 2008 vintage is one to pass on. The tannins are absolutely huge and slightly under ripe which no amount of time in the cellar will improve. 2009 vintage should be released fairly soon and given the success of the firm's 2nd wine from that vintage (see above) I would save your cash and hold out.

Platinum Bench 2010 Benchmark Red - $?
From a new winery on the Black Sage Bench wedged between Black Hills and Desert Hills with a mature vineyard that used to conract out its grapes. This is a proprietary blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 8% Gamay Noir. Ripe and fruit forward.

See Ya Later Ranch 2009 Ping - $27.99
Expressive, ripe berry and plum fruit on this Meritage blend of 54% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Good intensity with friendly, round tannins. Best Ping I've ever tasted.

Seven Stones 2009 Row 128 Merlot - $30
Unfortunately, this wine is now sold out according to the winery's website. If you do come across it, however, snatch it up and be reminded just how good Merlot can be in BC when it is nicely extracted and properly oaked. Big, fruity and robust with decent complexity and superb balance.

Tantalus 2011 Riesling - $21.90
Off-dry Riesling with grapefruit, lime and loads of green apple acidity. Quite full, perhaps a tad too sweet, but, a great spicy food wine to be sure.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

1976 Paris Tasting Re-Creation

It’s back!! Since the original event in June sold out so quickly, and so many folks missed out, we’re staging an encore performance! In case you missed the last description, here’s a brief synopsis: we taste 9 wines blind, California vs. France, and rate our winners along a 20-point scale, just like they did in 1976 when the French judges chose California wines over French ones (as portrayed in the movie “Bottle Shock”). It’s great fun, the last one was a blast, and as always we’ll have some nibbles provided by Chef Alistair from Tap Restaurant.

Wednesday Sept 26 at 6:30pm
$100.00 per person, seating is very limited.

The Cabernets:

• Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2005 $1099.99 (an original competitor)
• Clos de Marquis 2005 $106.99 (Second wine to Leyoville-Les-Cases, an original competitor)
• Clos Du Val Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 $89.99 (original competitor)
• Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 $59.99 (original competitor)
• Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 $71.99 (Second wine to S.L.V., an original competitor)

The Chardonnay:

• Joseph Drouhin Clos De Mouches Blanc 2009 $119.99 (original competitor)
• Louis Jadot Meursault Charmes 2009 $99.99
• Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 2007 $79.99 (original competitor)
• Grgich Hills Chardonnay 2008 $75.99 (winemaker of Ch Montelena, original competitor)

For tickets or more information contact me at Everything Wine by email JCarrier@everythingwine.ca or phone at 604-542-2480.
 - Jordan Carrier

The Paris Tasting of 1976 – A Modern Recreation

Thursday, June 28th
Everything Wine @ Morgan Crossing
$100 per ticket plus HST
For tickets please call 604-542-2480

It was the spring of 1976, pant legs were wide, hair was long, and as far as the world was concerned, only the French made world-class fine wine. Then came the Shot Heard ‘Round The World that changed everything. That shot was the so-called JUDGEMENT OF PARIS, best known to everyone by its representation in the film “Bottle Shock”, and it signaled an end to the French dominance in the world’s perception of fine wines. In the wine industry it is one of the most important, defining moments of the last hundred years.

The event, organized by a Brit named Steven Spurrier (played in the movie by Snape – I mean Alan Rickman), pitted French Bordeaux against Californian Cabernet Sauvignon, and French Burgundies against Californian Chardonnays. The real twist to this competition, however, was that it was conducted BLIND, and adjudicated by FRENCH JUDGES. It was expected that the French wines, with their thousand years of refinement and Terroir trial and error, would crush these young upstarts handily. Imagine their surprise when the Californian wines, however narrowly, edged out these classic French wines in the eyes of the French judges. It put California on the Wine Map, and the French have never gotten over it.

Everything Wine in South Surrey are going to stage an homage, if not outright re-creation, of this seminal wine event. With the purchase of a ticket, you will join our panel and pass blind judgment on a collection of Californian and French wines, most of which were original competitors of the first tasting those 36 years ago. The tasting will be blind: you will not know which wines are which until you have already evaluated and ranked them, and we will use the original 20 point grading system.

The wines:

• Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2005 $1099.99 (an original competitor)
• Clos de Marquis 2005 $106.99 (Second wine to Leyoville-Les-Cases, an original competitor)
• Clos Du Val Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 $89.99 (original competitor)
• Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 $59.99 (original competitor)
• Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (Second wine to S.L.V., an original competitor)
• Joseph Drouhin Clos De Mouches Blanc 2009 $119.99 (original competitor)
• Louis Jadot Meursault (pending Confirmation) 2009 $99.99
• Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 2007 $79.99 (original competitor)
• Grgich Hills Chardonnay 2008 $75.99 (winemaker of Ch Montelena, original competitor)

Tickets to this event are $100 per seat, and are EXTREMELY limited. There will be light cuisine prepared by Chef Alistair Veen of Tap Restaurant, and it’s going to be totally awesome. I hope you can join us for this one-of-a-kind- event!
 - Jordan Carrier - Vintage Room Consultant, Everything Wine @ Morgan Crossing

Tinhorn plus Le Gavroche equals Yum

On Wednesday night Le Gavroche welcomed Tinhorn Creek Vineyards and 50-60 patrons, employees and media to taste the culinary exploits of Vancouver's longest-standing French restaurant paired with wines from Tinhorn's premium "Oldfield Series".

Face time with the always entertaining Sandra Oldfield, Tinhorn's winemaker and CEO, was plentiful. She's as good a story teller as she is a winemaker - a common trait I've observed amongst BC's top winemakers. Self effacing and quick to laugh, Oldfield can charm the critique right out of you - luckily, I'd previously reviewed the wines (see details here or take the links below).

The goal for any winemaker's dinner is to showcase the personalities involved and to inform interested parties of the goings-on at the winery - plus the occasional tidbit of news about future releases. The meal itself is designed to showcase, first the wines, and secondly, the skills of the restaurant's chef. The menu was as follows:

Canapés
Crown Royal Smoked Salmon, Crème Frâiche
Salmon Caviar and Green Onion Pancake
Roasted Garlic and Brie Cheese Purses
Smoked Veal Tongue and Onion Confit
Oldfield Series 2010 2Bench White 2010

The verdict: The various bits and bites were tasty and fairly low key. A good match for the charming 2Bench White which delivers good complexity in its own subtle way.

1st course
Dungeness Crab, Prawn stuffed Squid, Crab and Cognac Sauce
Oldfield Series 2010 Rosé

The verdict: The amazing thing about Rosé is its ability to pair with just about everything. The Tinhorn 2010 version is so fragrant and sweet smelling that this added a lovely aromatic element to the dish. Fans of this wine will be happy to hear that the winery is raising the production from about 200 cases to nearly 1300 cases for 2011.

2nd Course
Duck Confit Cannelloni, Cassis Sauce
Oldfield Series 2008 Syrah

The verdict: Very tasty dish, however, it was served back-to-back with another brown sauce dish leaving the visual element of eating a bit bland. In terms of the wine match, I found myself wishing that the 2008 Pinot Noir had been paired with the course to better highlight the fabulous duck confit.

3rd Course
Salt Spring Island Lamb Chops, Sauce Verde, Tomato and Basil Braised Lamb, Meatballs, Vegetable Couscous
Oldfield Series 2008 2Bench Red

The verdict: The best pairing of the evening with the Meritage flavours and tannins supporting the dual protein on offer.

4th Course
Red Wine and Cinnamon Poached Apples, Apple Pie Ice Cream
Oldfield Series 2010 Kerner Icewine

The verdict: A very tasty desert with excellent acid, cream and sweet notes that paired nicely with similar characters of the Kerner icewine. However, the caramel crackle that accompanied the desert, although dramatic and pretty, was far too sweet and broke the wine pairing rule that the desert shouldn't be as sweet as the wine.

Any critique offered is just nit-picky stuff and overall, a fantastic evening was had by all. Good food, good wine and good company.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2011 IconWines.ca

Upcoming Wine Events in BC

Events:

Banée 2011
April 16th, 2011 @Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos
Taste the wines of the South Okanagan Winery Association whilst mingling with the winemakers and grape growers who put their heart and soul into their product. Tickets are $200.00 per person and include a wine reception, a family style feast and a live auction. Call Oliver Twist Winery @250.485.0227 to purchase your tickets. http://www.sowasite.com/
IconWines.ca will be in attendance.

Taste the Bench
April 21st, 2011 - 6:30 to 9:00pm @The Westin Bayshore Hotel
Taste the spring releases of 18 Naramata Bench wineries paired with tasty nibblies from top Vancouver restaurants. Tickets are $89 and can be purchased by calling 1-800-663-1900 or online through http://www.naramatabench.com/.


Winery Dinners:

Nichol Vineyard Estate Winery
March 23rd, 2011 @Tapenade Bistro - 3711 Bayview Street in Richmond
Enjoy fabulous food and the exciting wines of Nichol Vineyard from the Naramata Bench. Tickets are $99 including tax and gratuity. Call the restaurant at 604 275 5188 to book your table.

Averill Creek Vineyard
March 25th, 2011 @Averill Creek Vineyard - 6552 North Rd in Duncan
Enjoy an evening of food and a guided tasting of Averill Creek Vineyard wines to celebrate the release of Island Wineries of British Columbia. Tickets are only $65.00, and include a copy of the book. Visit http://www.averillcreek.ca/ for more information.

Upcoming Wine Tastings in GVRD

Below is a list of upcoming BC wine tastings at some of our favourite VQA stores:

Kensington Square Wines
(6626B Hastings Street, Burnaby)

November 5th, 6th, 2010
Award Winners

November 12th, 13th, 2010
Backyard and Neck of the Woods

November 19th, 20th, 2010
Robin Ridge and Stone Boat

November 26th, 27th, 2010
Wines of the Hills

The Wine Emporium
(#500 - 22259 48th Ave. Langley)

November 6th, 2010
Stag's Hollow

November 13th, 2010
Nk'Mip Cellars

November 20th, 2010
Domaine de Chaberton

November 27th, 2010
Summerhill Winery

Taylorwood Wines
(1185 Mainland St, Yaletown)

November 7th, 2010
Fort Berens

November 14th, 2010
Road 13 Vineyards

November 28th, 2010
Church and State

BC VQA Fall Preview - Part 1

On September 23rd, 2010 the BC Wine Institute held its Fall Preview trade tasting at the new Vancouver Convention Center offering 100's of wine directors, servers, wine shop owners, media and "LB Wine Advocates" a glipse at new releases and a review of the current wines on offer. The later group being the folks from your local BC Signature Liquor Stores who were hopefully charmed by the many excellent wines on offer and will order more into their stores.

Keeping in mind too many wineries (over 60) in too little time, below are the notes for the wineries I visited with. Follow the links for the full review of select wines. (arranged alphabetically)

Black Hills Estate Winery

No new releases, however, Glenn Fawcett, winery president, was pouring their excellent 2008 Note Bene in double magnum format - what a treat. Wines bottled in large format tend to stay fresher as they age slower (less oxygen contact). For the 2008 vintage, it's the closest thing to tasting right out of the barrel. Any chance you get to attend a large format tasting, take it!

I also re-tasted their fabulous 2009 Viognier and liked it as much as the first time. A great first vintage.

Fairview Cellars

No new releases (yet). I re-tasted Bill Eggert's fabulous 2009 Sauvignon Blanc which remains one of my favourites of the year. Look for the new vintage of his Meritage blends "The Bear" and "Madcap Red" later in the fall. Fairview's current releases:

2007 The Bear - $35

2007 Madcap Red - $27

LaStella Winery

Released in October, the 2008 Fortissimo ($38, 14.2%) is a Super-Tuscan inspired blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. A powerhouse of a wine that will be sure to please the LaStella faithful and attract new consumers to the Osoyoos based winery. Fantastic.

Nk'Mip Cellars

I focused on the two Qwam Qwmt reserve reds on offer with mixed results.

2007 QQ Syrah ($34.99, 14.2%) a lovely nosed and peppered palate wine. Creamy texture with good concentration of flavours.

2007 QQ Meritage ($29.99, 14.5%) a blend of 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc which suffers from the dreaded under-ripe tannins that no amount of cellaring will correct. Has decent complexity but is overshadowed by other Meritage blends from the vintage.

Osoyoos LaRose

Unfortunately, viticulturist and winemaker Pascal Madevon wasn't pouring the upcoming release of Osoyoos LaRose which has been heavily built up by Vines Magazine. It should be released to the public on October 22nd - keep an eye out for it at your local BCLDB or VQA store.

If the "second wine", the 2007 Petales D'Osoyoos, is any indication (available now, $25) than the new Grande Vin may just live up to the hype. The 2007 is the best Petales yet with great concentration of aromas and flavours reflecting the warmer 2007 vintage. Amazingly, even the second label wine would benefit from another year in the bottle.

Go to Part 2

BC VQA Fall Preview - Part 2

Part 2 of our coverage of the BC VQA Fall Preview trade tasting, "Colour". Back to Part 1

Painted Rock Estate Winery
The Skaha Bench winery, under the direction of proprietor John Skinner, is in a luxurious position to be in-demand for its current releases (mostly sold-out) and sitting on their next vintage. Will he release them early to accommodate demand or when they are deemed "ready"? I'm not sure if he even knows yet.

As a preview, he poured the 2008 vintage of their Cabernet Sauvignon and Red Icon, both recently bottled and awaiting a release date. The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is nuanced and layered. Classic Cab aromas and flavours with a powerful presence on the palate. The 2008 Red Icon goes in a new direction away from the Cabernet Franc heavy 2007, with Merlot taking the lead and no Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. The result is a more familiar blend and one that will send your palate into a euphoric coma. You won't be sure how much time has passed. Wow. I can't wait to taste it again.

Look for future vertical releases of Painted Rock's flagship wine Red Icon as the winery is employing a new library strategy, holding back some cases of each vintage. Enjoying this wine, and its ever evolving and changing blend, in a vertical tasting will make for a fun experience.

Poplar Grove Winery
The soon to be released 2006 The Legacy ($50, 14.8%) follows on the heels of the excellent 2005 vintage, which is still available. The aging of this big red has been done for you at the winery and thus the wine is approachable upon release. Further development with cellaring will be minimal but its excellent tannic structure will allow a long window of enjoyment.

Road 13 Vineyards and Winery
Sadly, one of my favourite R13 wines, their 2008 Viognier-Roussanne-Marsanne, has not returned and is being replaced by their new 2009 Viognier-Riesling-Sauvignon Blanc blend. A fine wine in its own right and well priced at $22.99. A blend of 61% Viognier, 30% Riesling and 9% Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp with big, juicy fruit flavours from the hot 2009 vintage. 13.9% alcohol.

Rollingdale Winery
Re-tasted their fabulous 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir which recently won a silver medal at the 2010 Wine Access awards and which seems to have been dropped in price to only $19.99! Buy a case.

Stag's Hollow Estate Winery
A few recent releases. Most will be available at your local VQA store.

2009 Con-Fusion ($17.00, 13.2%) a fun blend dominated by Gewurztraminer aromas and flavours with Riesling, Pinot Gris, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc also in the mix. I fear this wine may have been released a bit late in the Summer as it would be best paired with a sunny deck. However, Thai food is reportedly sold throughout the year.

2008 SHV Pinot Noir ($24.99, 13.8%) an easy-drinking Pinot that won't break the bank. Med tannins and body with high-ish acid and mild oak influence.

2008 Syrah ($27.99, 14.8%) a Cote Rotie inspired blend of Syrah and Viognier (91%-9%). Lots of aromatic perfume notes on the nose from the Viognier - just a schoch less would be perfect. Otherwise, an excellent Syrah full of big pepper and fruit flavours.

Tantalus Vineyards
The West Kelowna winery has 30 acres under vine on their 48 acre property and focuses on delivering estate grown Riesling, Pinot Noir and a recent addition to the line-up, sparkling wine. Thus far, the winery has only one vintage of sparkling wine, 2004, however, the tough growing season of 2010 may result in another as the traditional method employed by the winery calls for under-ripe, high acid grapes. My guess is they won't wait 6 years to release the next batch.

2004 Classic Cuvée ($24.90, 13.6%) a lovely nosed brut with Champagne-like leesy characters and crisp fruit flavours. A very well priced, fun wine.

2004 Riesling Méthode Traditionelle ($52.90 1.5L) a bit of an odd duck. Major petrol notes on the nose followed by very high acid on the palate with flavours of citrus and lees. Only available in magnum size.

2009 Riesling ($22.90) warmer and more intensely fruity on the nose and palate than the 2008 vintage. Strong minerality and acid keeps the wine balanced. An excellent Riesling.

2008 Pinot Noir ($29.90) the cooler 2008 vintage produces a more austere wine than the excellent 2007 vintage. One of the better terroir-driven Pinots in the Province.

2010 Okanagan Fall Wine Festival

The 2010 Okanagan Fall Wine Festival runs October 1st through October 10th with many wineries participating. There are dozens of events to choose from ranging from wine tastings to vineyard experiences. Many are organized by the Okanagan Wine Festivals' Society and others are hosted solely by the wineries themselves. Below is a list of just a few events, highlights if you will, of the many options available.

Delta Grand Okanagan Resort - Kelowna
WestJet Wine Tastings - $61
6:30 p.m - 9:00 p.m. on Friday, October 1st
More Information

Black Hills Estate Winery - Black Sage Bench
10-year Vertical Tasting of Nota Bene - $150
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 2nd
(Icon Wines in attendance)
More Information

Double Magnum Private VIP Reception & Pool Party - $119
4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 2nd
(Icon Wines in attendance)
More Information

Stag's Hollow - Okanagan Falls
Tempranillo and Tapas - $35
11:30 a.m.-1:00p.m. on Saturday, October 2nd
More Information

Oliver Community Centre - Oliver
Festival of the Grape - $22
12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 3rd
More Information

La Frenz Winery - Naramata Bench
Winemaker's Dinners - $Call for pricing
6:30 p.m. @Bogners of Penticton on Tuesday, October 5th. 250 493 2711
6:30 p.m. @Naramata Heritage Inn on Friday, October 8th. 250 496 6808
More Information

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards - Golden Mile Bench
Vineyard & Habitat Family Hike - $25
All day event on Wednesday, October 6th
More Information

Hester Creek Estate Winery - Golden Mile Bench
Tuscan Dinner - $150
6:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. on Friday, October 8th
More Information

Lake Breeze Vineyards - Naramata Bench
Seven Poplars Cellar Dinner - $115
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 9th
More Information

Seven Stones Winery - Cawston
Lunch and Vertical Tasting - $40
12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 10th
More Information

Nk’Mip Cellars - Osoyoos
Wake Up With Wine - $35
Starts at 9:00 a.m. every day of the festival
More Information

Upcoming Vancouver Wine Events

A listing of a few fun upcoming wine events in Vancouver:

Allen Meadows the Burghound - Burgundy 101 Seminar

A sit down tasting with Allen featuring classic examples of all the major appellations of Burgundy, with a few hidden gems thrown in for good measure. Allen will guide us through each wine as he speaks about the appellation, producer and recent trends and developments affecting Burgundy.

Date: Saturday, September 18th, 2010
Time: 2:00-4:00pm
Location: Terminal City Club - 837 W. Hastings, Vancouver - Business casual attire
Cost: $99 per person

Allen Meadows the Burghound - Bistro Pastis Lunch

Start your Sunday in a leisurely fashion by join us for lunch at John Blakely's Fourth Avenue fixture, Bistro Pastis. This meal will feature the wines from some of the lesser known Burgundy appellations with a sprinkling of more recognizable names included for good measure. As you happily eat and drink away, Allen will discuss each wine and grower, while providing an overview of Burgundy.

Date: Sunday, September 19th, 2010
Time: 11:30am-2:00pm
Location: Bistro Pastis - 2153 W. 4th Avenue, Vancouver
Cost: $99 per person (all inclusive)

To order tickets for these events people contact Marquis Wine Cellars at 604-684-0445.

Taste Chile 2010

Meet visiting winemakers and taste wines from wine regions across Chile from more than 30 visiting wineries, each pouring up to six different wines at their table. Chilean style passed hors d’oeuvres will be provided to pair with the fabulous wines on offer. Educate yourself on Chilean wines while sampling additional wines at three focus stations. After tasting your way around the room, relax and enjoy the food and wine in our Santiago Lounge while taking in the sounds mixed by a local DJ.

Location: W2 Storyeum - 151 West Cordova, Vancouver
Date: Thursday, October 7th
Time: 7:00-9:30pm
Cost: Tickets $39

Charitable proceeds from the event will be donated to the Grapes for Humanity Canada.
For tickets and information, please visit http://www.winesofchile.ca/

Guided Wine Tastings by Icon Wines

Company principles, Liam Carrier and Hugh Carter, work with the clients to design custom events that can be both entertaining and educational.

Events can range from small, private gatherings to larger, corporate parties. The guided tastings can be tailored to meet the client’s unique demands: showcasing specific wine regions or themes such as “The Best $20 Wines” or “The Wines of BC” to name but two.

Set your budget and the Icon Wines team will provide you with:

• Theme suggestions
• Multiple wine list choices
• Expert advice
• Wine tasting 101 tips
• Tasting note sheets

The Icon Wines' Guided Wine Tastings are appropriate for:

• Holiday parties
• Corporate events
• Private parties

To contact the Icon Wines team and find out their availability for the upcoming holiday season and for pricing information, email iconwines@shaw.ca.

Upcoming BC Wine Events

Event: John Gerum's BC Uncorked
Date: November 7th, 2009 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
http://www.bcuncorked.ca/
Details: Tickets $40-50. Twenty BC wineries featured including Icon Wines favourites: Cedar Creek, Road 13, Kettle Valley and Lake Breeze.

Event: Marquis Wine Cellars: Champagne and Sparkling Wine Tasting
Date: November 14th, 2009 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
http://www.marquis-wines.com/Special-Events.html
Details: Free event. 3rd annual. Tasting: Paul Bara Brut Reserve, Le Brun Servenay Brut and Veuve Clicquot Brut among others.

Coming in 2010… The Icon Wines Tri-Cities Wine Club featuring both New World and Old World wines.