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.

March Meritage!

We at IconWines.ca love sports and silly wordplay almost as much as we love wine. On the heels of last year's epic World Cup of Wine, we bring you March Meritage! in honor of the US collegiate hoops tournament beginning soon. Fill-out the bracket below and score along at home.

The wines in competition are all from BC and are Meritage by nature if not by name. These fine blends of Bordeaux varietals range from cellar-dwellers to super-sippers and everything in between. Price-point was capped at $55 to make the competition easier to follow at home. Results will be posted from March 15th through April 4th.


Round 1
Golden Bench Conference
Naramata Bench Conference
Black Sage Bench Conference
Wild Card Conference

Round 2
Rd2 - Elite Eight

Round 3
Rd3 - Semi Finals

Round 4
Championship: Fairview VS Black Hills

Golden Mile Bench Conference
(1) Fairview Cellars 2008 The Bear
(2) Casini Cellars 2008 Maximus
(3) Tinhorn Creek 2007 2Bench Red
(4) Hester Creek 2007 The Judge

Naramata Bench Conference
(1) Poplar Grove 2006 The Legacy
(2) La Frenz 2007 Grand Total Reserve
(3) Laughing Stock 2008 Blind Trust Red
(4) Kettle Valley 2006 Old Main Road

Black Sage Bench Conference
(1) Black Hills 2008 Nota Bene
(2) Burrowing Owl 2007 Meritage
(3) Nk'Mip 2007 Qwam Qwmt Meritage
(4) Jackson-Triggs 2006 Prop-Res Meritage

Wild Card Conference
(1) Mission Hill 2007 Compendium
(2) Osoyoos Larose 2007 Petales d'Osoyoos
(3) Stag's Hollow 2007 Heritage Block
(4) Blackwood Lane 2008 Vicuna Roja
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2011 IconWines.ca

Hester Creek's New Look

The origins of Hester Creek Estate Winery date back to 1968 with the first planting of Trebbiano grapes in their home vineyard in the Southern region of Okanagan Valley were made amidst the absence of a strong winemaking industry. Today, more than 40 years later, the industry has grown and much has changed, including ownership, new plantings of popular Bordeaux varietals, a modern production facility and a Mediterranian-styled Villa where guests can enjoy the vineyard lifestyle in the lap of luxury. Some of the original Trebbiano vines remain, producing one of their signature wines, but like all successful businesses, Hester Creek has embraced change and have recently announced the launch of a re-branding effort which updates the look and feel of its labeling.

Gone is the inconsistent branding of the past which offered little connection between the winery's two ranges of Classic and Reserve wines. Personally, I always liked the simple blue label of the reserve wines, but there was no continuity to the rest of the product line.

The new labels are modern, attractive and most importantly, display a consistency across the portfolio that was sorely lacking in the old labels. This attention to detail is happily reflected in the new releases under the direction of winemaker Robert Summers who joined the winery in 2006 and who has been working to upgrade and modernize its equipment.

New Releases include:

2009 Pinot Blanc - $15.99
The hot 2009 growing season produced amble sugar in the grapes which for this Pinot Blanc has been mostly fermented, leaving only a touch of residual sugar and loads of juicy, citrus fruit flavours.
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2009 Semillon-Chardonnay - $15.99
Folks looking for an off-dry white that offers decent complexity and pairs well with rich food need look no further.
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2008 Reserve Cabernet Franc - $25.99
Hester Creek consistently produce one of the Provinces top Cabernet Franc each year and the 2008 vintage is no exception.
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2007 The Judge - $45
Hester Creek's first foray into the land of premium Meritage wines results in a well made and easy drinking blend of Bordeaux varietals.
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 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2011 IconWines.ca