Naramata Bench Wineries' Simply Red Event

On September 22nd, Icon Wines had the privilege of attending the Naramata Bench Wineries Association's "Simply Red" event held at the fabulous Goldfish Pacific Kitchen in Vancouver, BC. Many fantastic producers were at the event and most had at least one new release to show off.


Located in the Yaletown area of downtown Vancouver, Goldfish Pacific Kitchen restaurant is a great venue for this short of industry event. The floor was opened up to allow easy access to the winery tables and the staff were very courteous to all in attendance. The food was first rate. A very well organized event that allowed the wines to take center stage.

Our palates were in heaven tasting the many new releases on hand but, unfortunately, they got tired before we could complete the full circuit and visit every winery table.

We visited:

Howling Bluff Estate Wines
Howling Bluff were unveiling their two new releases: 2007 Pinot Noir and the 2007 Sin Cera.

La Frenz Winery
Winemaker Jeff Martin was on hand to help pour all of the La Frenz current and new releases. New (and recent) releases include their 2006 Reserve, 2007 Shiraz and their 2007 Merlot.

Poplar Grove Winery
Icon Wines got to finally meet the winemaker/proprietor Ian Sutherland who was on hand to show off the release of their 2006 Merlot and Cabernet Franc as well as their new wine boxes for second lable Monster Vineyards products.

Van Westen Vineyards
Winemaker Robert Van Westen was pouring a two vintage vertical of his powerhouse Voluptuous (2005 & 2006).

Laughing Stock Vineyards
Proprietors Dave and Cynthia Enns were on hand to pour their soon to be released 2007 Portfolio and their second-lable red blend, 2007 Blind Trust Red . The Portfolio was presented in a three vintage vertical (2005, 2006 and 2007).

Kettle Valley Winery
KVW were pouring their complete line-up of current releases. Old Main Red was a stand-out.

Lake Breeze Vineyards
Lake Breeze were pouring their Seven Poplars Pinot Noir, Meritage and their signature red blend the 2006 tempest.

Black Widow Winery
Black Widow only make one red wine and this was on hand: their 2007 Hourglass which is a Merlot/Cab blend.

Look for full reviews of this fall's new releases from the Naramata Bench appellation to be posted soon on Icon Scores soon. - LC

Cellared in Canada

Much has been written recently about the "Cellared in Canada" issue, the unfortunate practice of a few Canadian wine producers importing bulk wine from other countries, bottling it in BC or Ontario and then passing the wine off to consumers as a local product with the complicit help of provincial liquor boards. We thought we would weigh in on the issue as well and help raise awareness in case there are any Canadian wine lovers or those that wanted to try Canadian wines who are not yet familiar with the practice.

The main issue, in our humble opinion, is the blatant deception at work. There is a place for budget import wines, but that place is not in the BC or Ontario wine sections of the liquor stores. We have been known to open a bottle of the easy drinking and affordable Copper Moon Cabernet Sauvignon for example, but we knew what we were opening. We fear that many people do not understand the difference, as all consumers are not complete wine geeks like we are at Icon Wines and read every word of the back label. These wines should be placed in a separate section and referred to as "Bulk Wine" or "Value Wine" as to not mislead the average wine consumer into thinking they are getting a Canadian grown and produced wine.

Even Wikipedia now has an entry on the subject (http://bit.ly/mveOX) which is curiously dated June, 2009 despite the fact that this practice has been going on for years. It is only recently, in the past three months or so, that the issue has gotten widespread attention and we believe this is, in part, due to the growing reputation of quality that BC and Ontario wines are attracting both at home and abroad. This could be the silver lining in the whole debacle. Canadians now care enough about their native wine industry that they don't want this reputation sullied by these impostors and are spreading the word on "Cellared in Canada". We don't think this public outcry would have taken place 5 years ago.

The logo from the "Boycott Cellared in Canada wines" Facebook page.

Tracking the issue online, articles on the subject started appearing early in the year, but it seems to have taken a couple foreign personalities to get the home front truly riled up. (Both internationally renowned Janice Robinson and the pro-business magazine "The Economist" have chimed in on the debate.) That's not meant as a criticism; it's very Canadian. Our own wine blog has been mum on the issue until now.

Icon Wines strives for independence and are not big on boycotts, but hitting companies (the large wine producers and the monopolistic liquor boards) where it hurts most, on the bottom line, seems the best way to get the seriousness of the issue across. The most disturbing part of this issue is that the large wine producers are basically saying "we don't care about our international reputation as long as we can make some money". I realize that these are businesses but can Canada afford to have their reputation tarnished when the industry is so young? Therefore, the partners of Icon Wines will pledge not to purchase any "Cellared in Canada" wines until these wines are mandated to be removed from the Canadian section in all liquor stores. We will research and name the guilty brands to avoid, but here's a hint: if you are considering a bottle of "Canadian" wine that is under $10, stop and read the back label. Chances are you will see "Cellared in Canada" in the fine print. - IW

Further reading on the subject:

The Vancouver Sun's Gord Hamilton article: http://bit.ly/8tvUx
Janice Robinson's blog: http://bit.ly/ASmX1
Uncorked Ontario blog: http://bit.ly/18vLSr

Weekend in Woodinville - Part 3 of 3

Words and Photos by Liam Carrier
Edited by Sheila MacCallum

Novelty Hill/Januik

The first boutique winery on our itinerary was the joint venture Novelty Hill/Januik. The two firms share the same winemaker, Mike Januik, who was head winemaker at Chateau Ste-Michelle for ten years prior to leaving in 1999. The partnership is handy for a winemaker who, as a result, can increase his resources and production while showcasing his own label. The two wine lists are heavy with Washington State’s signature grape, Cabernet Sauvignon. Both lists offer single-vineyard terroir-driven wines, as well as blends and entry-level labels. The distinction between the two independent wineries, who share a production facility and tasting room, is in how they source their grapes. Januik wines are made from grapes sourced from select Columbia Valley vineyards; Novelty Hill relies primarily on grapes grown on its estate vineyard, Stillwater Creek.

By this point in the day, my wife was done with wine tasting. However, she found something else at the winery to satisfy her taste buds, something more precious and appealing to her palate than wine: pizza. On the day we visited the tasting room, the winery was offering stone-oven baked pizza as a lunch specialty. She enjoyed most of the pepperoni pizza, while I tasted wine for a $10 fee:

Novelty Hill 2005 Merlot – Columbia Valley. - $22
92% Merlot; 6% Cabernet Sauvignon; 2% Petit Verdot. 87pts.

Novelty Hill 2006 Sangiovese – Stillwater Creek Vineyard. - $25
95% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Paired nicely with our pizza. 86pts.

Januik 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon – Champoux Vineyard. - $50
Wine Advocate rated the '05, '04, ’03, ’02 and ’01 vintages 93 pts, 93 pts, 94 pts, 91 ptsand 95 pts, respectively. 92pts.

Januik 2006 Reserve Red. - $65
90% Cabernet Sauvignon; 7% Cabernet Franc; 3% Malbec; 2% Merlot. Wellstructured and balanced. This wine should age nicely with its high tannins and acidity. 93pts.

Brian Carter Cellars

We finished our Woodinville wine-tasting adventure at the smallest of the day’s wineries: Brian Carter Cellars. This was a wonderful way to end the day, as BCC strive for quality over quantity, making nothing but blends - thisadds uniqueness to the tasting experience compared to a standard winery that would offer both blends and varietal-specific wines. Many of the blends mimic famous regional specialties, but the flavours are pure Washington.

BCC uses grapes sourced from a number of different vineyards in Eastern Washington and creates a number of familiar blends: Bordeaux, white Rhone Valley, Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Super-Tuscan. When we visited they were tasting four wines, but, sadly, not their flagship Bordeaux blend “Solesce”, whose current release is from the 2005 vintage and retails for $58.00.

At BCC I tasted:

2006 Oriana - $24
This is the winery’s take on a Rhone Valley white blend of 45% Viognier and 35% Roussanne with 20% Riesling added to aid the acidity and aromatic notes. This is a lovely wine full of apple blossoms, apricots and tangerines; would pair nicely with spicy seafood. 89pts.

2006 Tuttorosso - $30
69% Sangiovese, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Syrah. Floral and berry notes, medium-bodied pleaser with a spicy finish. Pair with pizza or tomato-sauce pasta. 90pts.

2005 Byzance - $30
This is BBC’s take on a Chateauneuf-du-Pape blend of 57% Grenache, 22% Syrah, and 21% Mourvedre. Lots of spicy notes with a good balance of tannins and acidity. A satisfying long finish. 90pts.

2005 L’Etalon - $30
A Bordeaux-style blend of 55% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 7% Malbec. Layers of dark fruits, chocolate, leather, licorice with balanced tannins and acidity. This wine should age nicely for many years. Pair with your favourite cut of red meat when you pull it out of the cellar. 91pts.

In Conclusion

The Seattle/Woodinville wine region has a wide variety of wines and wineries to offer the consumer. It is a unique wine tasting experience for any enthusiast used to visiting Estate Wineries (like those from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia). Other wine regions could learn from this “bring not only the wine but the winery experience to the people” mentality. However, not all Washington producers follow this model, including some of the top Estate Wineries.

I very much look forward to my next trip to the Woodinville wine region as I only scratched the surface this time. There are many top producers that I have yet to visit, and many of the best wines that I have yet to taste – what a happy thought! I do have more anniversaries, both traditional and made-up, to celebrate in the years to come.

With the alcohol limit of 1.5 liters per person (with a 48-hour or longer visit to the U.S.A.) we were limited to bringing two bottles each home to Vancouver, BC. Having tried lots of great wine at the wineries we visited, I would have loved to have come back with a case or more, especially of the Brian Carter beauties. However, not wanting to break any laws, we stuck to the legal limit. Here’s what we bought for the cellar:

· One bottle of the fantastic and well-priced L’Etalon from Brian Carter Cellars, purchased direct, at the winery, so my tasting fee would be waved.
· One bottle of the spice-fest Byzance for $24.99, purchased at the Burlington Costco at a savings of $5 from the winery price.
· Two bottles of the 95-point scoring Flora Springs 2005 Trilogy for $39.99 each - also purchased at Costco.

Full-disclosure: the bottles of Flora Springs have nothing to do with the wineries in this article. They were simply too good a deal to pass up. Having visited Napa Valley’s Flora Springs earlier in the year and not being able to secure this fantastic wine, I was eager to add the bottles of Trilogy to my collection. Hopefully, this purchase will be a success story for The Cellar Experiment. - LC

Below are links to all of the wineries I visited on this trip:

http://www.ste-michelle.com/
http://www.columbiawinery.com/
http://www.noveltyhillwines.com/
http://januikwinery.com/
http://www.briancartercellars.com/