California Headline's 15 Nation Wine Festival

To date, many events are very nearly or already sold out.

I mention this because in past years, many consumers have waited until the last minute to get tickets and given the momentum of this year's ticket sales, you may want do something sooner rather than later.

Twenty-six years ago, the show was a single winery event sponsored by the ever-savvy Robert Mondavi Winery of California's Napa Valley. This year, the week-long, 48-event show that is clearly Canada's most important grape statement returns to its roots to celebrate all the wine regions of California.

The Robert Mondavi folks will be in attendance, but so will 43 others producers from Napa, Sonoma, Monterey, Mendocino and Sierra Foothills, to name but a few of the 80 identified wine regions in the Golden State.

There are some new twists inside the tasting room, too, and it begins with the layout. From its inception, the festival has been laid out alphabetically, placing wineries from different countries side by side on the festival-room floor, creating a global atmosphere.

This year, the large California contingent will be located in one area inside the International Tasting Room. The rest of the participants' booths outside the California compound will follow the traditional alphabetical layout.

Ask a Sommelier is another new twist that will see members of the International Sommelier Guild and the Vancouver Sommelier Guild on hand inside the International Festival Tasting Room to answer your questions about wine and presumably to point you in the right direction in your search for the best wines in the room. They'll be there from March 18 to 20, 7 to 10 p.m.

Not long ago, I was asking for innovation inside the room and presto, just like that, the 2004 festival has come up with a booth its calling Que Syrah/Shiraz? The wildly popular varietal will be under the microscope with more than 100 syrah and shiraz wines to sample at the show. You can stop by the all new Syrah/Shiraz tasting station to sip and savour a variety of new and old examples at one booth and you can also discuss their merits with graduates of Dubrulle's Vancouver Wine Academy.

Today we continue our preparation for the festival by looking at a variety of wines you can purchase in your local liquor store to fine-tune the taste buds for the upcoming show and the arrival of spring.

The Eaglehawk Chardonnay 2003 comes from the Wolf Blass stable and represents a new fruity look for the Barossa-based winery. Look for a green-apple-skin, floral, citrus-rind nose with an attractive spicy honey edge. It has elegant styling with fine weight and balance and a crisp mix of spicy honey, vanilla, butter, citrus and baked-apple flavours. Elegant and flavourful, this is a perfect introduction to chardonnay with only a little oak showing.

The Tormaresca Chardonnay 2002 is an Antinori project from Southern Italy. Look for light peachy, buttery, mineral aromas with a touch of yeasty lees. It's both soft and round with fresh ripe apple, citrus and buttery mineral flavours. An elegant simple white to complement clams and sole.

The new Hogue Chardonnay 2002 from Columbia Valley, Washington is a pleasant surprise, especially for the price. Taste the bright, citrus fruit flavours and mineral highlights with just a dusting of lees or bread-dough flavours that keep it interesting in the glass. Buy this one all spring and summer.

Similarly light and breezy is the Bellingham Sauvignon Blanc 2003 out of South Africa. The wine is made with grapes grown at cool, high altitudes in south-facing vineyards. This is a zippy little white with tropical/pineapple fruit aromas and flavours spiced with jalapeno and tangy citrus streaks. Clean and fresh with just a hint of bitterness in the finish. Good value.

Chateau Pesquie Les Terrasses Selection Speciale 2001 has a long name to remember, but it's worth the struggle. You'll love its cardamom, cherry jam, spicy, gamey aromas and floral, raspberry earthy, peppery, sour cherry flavours. Elegant and fresh, it will work well with grilled meats.

Quinta De Chocapalha 2000 provides a glimpse into the new dry wines of Portugal. Ripe plum jam and gamey, peppery, licorice aromas preview an elegant earthy, peppery, smoky red with cedar notes in the finish. Dry and ready to drink with grilled lamb chops.

Weekend Wine Tasting: New Listings

Wine Eaglehawk Chardonnay 2003, South Eastern Australia
Price $12.37
UPC 98137334433
Score 15/20
Remarks Spice lees, honey/vanilla, and citrus, baked apple flavours.

Wine Tormaresca Chardonnay 2002, Apulia, Italy
Price $14.43
UPC 8026530000015

Score 14/20
Remarks Light, elegant and simple for the summer and sole.

Wine Hogue Chardonnay 2002, Columbia Valley, Washington
Price $13.38
UPC 087754000401
Score 15.5/20
Remarks Bright citrus fruit flavours and mineral highlights.

Wine Bellingham Sauvignon Blanc 2003, Western Cape, South Africa
Price $13.36
UPC 6001506003131
Score 14.5/20
Remarks Zippy little white with tropical/pineapple fruit aromas.

Wine Château Pesquié Les Terrasses Selection Speciale 2001, Cotes du Ventoux, France
Price $19.35
UPC 0626990005377
Score 15.5/20
Remarks Floral, raspberry earthy, peppery, sour cherry flavours.

Wine Quinta De Chocapalha 2000, Estremadura, Portugal
Price $15.36
UPC 6079513200003
Score 14.5/20
Remarks Elegant Euro-style with earthy, peppery, smoky liquorice flavours.