B.C. Red Wine Grows Up

And where can I buy them?" are the two most frequent questions consumers ask me. The answer is not always obvious. Pointing them to merlot was the solution just a few years ago, because it was the only red grape that would sufficiently ripen each year. All that has changed recently as growers working with the latest technology and information continue to shorten the necessary season, thereby bringing more and more red varieties into the picture.

The battle to ripen later varieties, such as cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, continues apace. Every day that can be dropped from the growing cycle is crucial to assuring growers that they will get their crop picked in top form before cold and rain arrives. Important research is now taking place in the Okanagan Valley to match specific grape varieties to specific soil types. Often the perfect match can advance the ripening cycle by several days, which fosters consistent quality and better fruit flavours, year after year.

The most notable improvements have come with producing the notoriously finicky pinot noir, and, from nowhere, syrah, or shiraz, if you like. B.C. pinot is beginning to put on weight and mouth feel, which should please everyone involved with trying to grow this all-but-impossible variety.

That said, the early syrah coming out of Burrowing Owl, Jackson-Triggs, Mission Hill and Calona must have growers and winery owners scratching their heads. Most are better than any red wines ever made before in the valley, and they have been in the ground less than five years. Many still believe blended reds are the way to go, especially those blends that involve merlot. But last week I tasted a soon-to-be-released cabernet sauvignon/shiraz blend from Jackson-Triggs that will turn a lot of heads. Adding a dash of cabernet franc and a smidgeon of merlot (and now maybe syrah) to cabernet sauvignon appears to be the direction our best wineries are headed. Now whether that leaves you with a reserve red, a meritage or simply a cabernet or merlot blend, doesn't really matter as long as the wine is balanced and ripe.

Here's a look at some standout B.C. reds I've tasted this year. None will be easy to find, so I suggest you begin at the winery or local VQA shops for information about availability. (Where the wine has been sold through government stores, the stock number has been included.)

CedarCreek 2000 Platinum Pinot Noir: As is the custom in B.C., smoky toasted oak dominates the nose, with a spicy barnyard background. Mid-weight sweet cherry jam fruit on the nose and palate will attract many. This might be the best young pinot in the valley. $35

Gehringer Brothers Optimum 1999 Pinot Noir: Most people think of Germanic wines when they hear "Gehringer," but the nose of this spicy, clove-scented pinot, with orange peel, barnyard and cherry fruit in the background, will change your mind. Bravo! $25 Mission Hill 1999 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: A spicy, roasted bell pepper nose previews soft, round, smoky, mocha/vanilla flavours. Easy to drink and quite an accomplishment, given the rather ordinary '99 vintage.

$20 Sumac Ridge Estate 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Black Sage Vineyard: Stock up while you can. This is maturing nicely, showing crushed pepper and licorice mixed with lots of blackberry fruit. A keeper. ($19.95; #392373)

Sumac Ridge Estate 1999 Meritage Black Sage Vineyard: The '99 version of this perennial favourite is rounding into shape, showing lots of pepper, leather and mint; it's reasonably elegant on the mid-palate. It's not a fruity vintage, but it will be fine with a great piece of roast beef or other meat. $25

Mission Hill 1999 Cabernet-Merlot: This isn't the best red wine sold in B.C., but it's the best value and the Number 1 seller. Spicy, minty, rich and balanced, it mimics the best of the south of France. ($15; #257816)

Burrowing Owl 2000 Pinot Noir: Good luck finding this. Smoky bacon fat and pepper highlight the nose, while dried cherry fruit marks the flavour. It's drier than usual, but it makes up for it in richness and alcohol. A good wine, but like those of Blue Mountain, it's becoming increasingly irritating to find. $20

Burrowing Owl 2000 Merlot: This label's merlot is always a good choice. Look for smoky, compost and tobacco aromas, and a creamy vanilla and cola/cherry palate. Its dry northern tannins should fade with time. Love the elegance and soft touch. $25

Black Hills 2000 Nota Bene: This is a 52/25/23 blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. The nose is a mix of leafy, compost and pepper aromas. On the palate, the wine is well-managed and quite expansive. The flavours are peppery with blackberry, plums and mocha/toffee/oak. Be sure to decant for 45 minutes before serving. $28

Jackson-Triggs 2000 Shiraz Proprietors' Reserve: Simply one of the best B.C. red wines I've ever tasted -- succulent, dense fruity and, yes, lots of that JT oak and smoke, but it's frightening how good this wine is for the price. The first crop yielded only 321 cases, so reading about it might be a close as you get to it. $19.95

Hawthorne Mountain 2000 Pinot Noir Gold Label Series: Cranberry and red fruit aromas sit over a smoky bacon and rosemary undercurrent. Look for firm, earthy, sour-cherry fruit, with fine intensity and length. A touch drier than it should be, but a fine effort none the less. $29.95 Poplar Grove 2000 Merlot: The nose is never the best part of Poplar Grove reds. but if you persist, you pick up the smoky oak and plum fruit underneath. The flavours are spicy cherry cola and crushed leaf; the finish is lean and dry. This will develop in the bottle. $23.