Last night, I attended the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival tasting. From past visits, I know how overwhelming this event can be, so I chose to focus first on the year’s chosen theme, Wines from Spain.
Spanish wines that caught my attention:
Grupo Faustino’s VII Rioja and Campillo Blanco 2009 – Seven wineries, fourth-generation wine makers that have become the leading winery in the Rioja region
Anayon 2009 Chardonnay Barrica – Pineapple, banana, coconut notes, aged six months in oak barrel; lightly toasted
Martin Códax 2009 Albariño – 9th generation wine maker Luciano Amoedo believes a good Albariño “should last in your mouth for 10 seconds”
Burgans 2009 Colleita Albariño – Winery is less than 1 km from the ocean, and this more modern wine has been in production since 1996
Orowines 2009 Atteca – An aged red with a deep cherry flavour, matched with spicy notes of cacao, vanilla, and licorice
I then turned my attention to Mionetto’s Sergio Extra Dry Sparkling Wine from Italy. Very enjoyable and their winery is also pouring several Proseccos if you’re planning on attending the tasting.
South African wines were well represented. I tasted Rhinofield’s 2009 Sauvignon Blanc and 2008 Chardonnay, both with good flavours and range of fruity tastes on the palette.
Porcupine Ridge poured a wonderful 2010 Sauvignon Blanc. A very good choice for tasting was Nederburg’s Ingenuity White, a big and bold creamy-textured wine.
I tasted two whites from New Zealand winery Man o’ War: 2010 Sauvignon Blanc and 2009 Ponui Island Pinot Gris. The Sauvignon had a fresh burst of flavors and I’d imagine goat cheese sitting next to my glass on a summer day. I found that the Pinot Gris had a good balance of apricot and lime, two of the first fruits I tasted on the first sip.
A brief stop at Germany’s Schloss Reinhartshausen to sample a 2009 Riesling from Prinz von Preussen, and I was on my way to the BC wines. This was the only Riesling I tasted last night, and it was crisp, with a delicate apple, orange, and lime combination to the taste buds. I’d recommend trying it!
BC wines were plentiful. Mission Hill, Hester Creek, and Jackson Triggs were my three stops (by this time I was aiming to top off the evening with a few reds).
Of all the international wineries visited, I came across a favourite, right here in BC. Noble Ridge’s award-winning Chardonnay had me at the first sip. Hester Creek poured a Character Red and The Judge, part of their new look and line. I enjoyed the flavors of the Character Red more, and this was a perfect start to my reds.
I also sampled a Jackson Triggs SunRock Vineyard 2006 Merlot from their Gold Series. Nice bouquet of ripe blackberries, vanilla, and cherry to marry with the cloves, pepper, and smoke. Their recommendation of medium-aged Cheddar or rack of lamb seems spot on to me.
As far as reds are concerned, one of my favorites was a 2007 Manso de Velasco Cabernet Sauvignon, made with wines from 100 year old vines. Another pleasant find was the Volteo Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon (yes, back to Spain!) from Ramón Bilbao. This particular wine combines 60% Tempranillo with 40% Cabernet grapes.
I saved Ontario’s Pillitteri Estates 2008 Vidal Ice wine for the end of the evening, once the Spanish whites and reds, international and BC wines were given a taste.
I’d recommend taking some time to people-watch. It’s a good way to take a breather and watch reactions and queue-forming around a particular winery.
And don’t feel bad about spitting or dumping the wine; it’s the only way you’ll see your way through the enormous variety of wines on offer.
