Growing BC Business

It's hard to measure the total impact of wine in British Columbia but it is safe to say business-wise, it's big, and becoming bigger.

When the Vancouver International Wine Festival beganin 1979, the notion of a wine culture in Vancouver was mostly wishful thinking. The monthly Four Seasons Hotel wine-maker dinners in those days were incubators of what would become a sophisticated wine culture aided by a generous helping hand from then-general manager Ruy Paes-Braga. Paes-Braga was born in Portugaland travelled extensively in Europe. His keen eye for perfection and his loveof gastronomy made the Four Seasons a breeding ground for disciples of food andwine.

With a budding interest in wine, I was kindly invited to dine with each visiting wine-maker. While absorbing the imagination of the many talented chefs, the wine-maker tales and Paes-Braga's relentless demand for perfection I had a free education in the culture of food and wine.

Typically, a winery would be invited from Californiaor France to play host to the dinner. The wines would arrive under diplomatic cover courtesy of that country's consul general and the costs were kept affordable. It's was a novel solution and an innovative way to circumvent the hefty border taxes that would make a dinner with six or eight wines unaffordable. Each dinner seemed to raise the level of awareness of just whatcould be achieved in matching food and wine, and slowly but surely they would set a standard that would attract some of the biggest names in wine to Vancouver.

By the time I began writing the Sun's wine column inthe late 1980s, a seat at the Four Seasons wine dinner was a hot ticket. It wasn't long before the concept spread across the city's growing hotel and restaurant scene in essence seeding the food and wine culture we see today.

Meanwhile, 250 kilometres to the east in the Okanagan Valley, two key events would occur that would solidify the foundation of theB.C.'s modern wine culture. The nuts and bolts of a primitive set of winerules, the Vintners Quality Alliance was assembled by a small group of forwarding-thinking B.C. wine pioneers. A quarter century later, the VQA symbolis the calling card of 100-per-cent grown-in-B.C. wine. The symbol is underfire by many who think it has out-lived its usefulness but there can be littledoubt VQA has done its share to first inspire B.C. residents to B.C. wine and more recently to inspire a whole new generation of investors to take the Okanagan seriously.

Then there is Chris Coletta, currently the indefatigable leader of Okanagan Crush Pad. Coletta in the 1990s was the head of the British Columbia Wine Institute and it was her team that coined theslogan "Pinot Gris and Salmon, a Marriage Made in Heaven." Linking local food to local wine was a master stroke for the tiny struggling wine industry. It immediately plugged distant wineries into the downtown Vancouver chef and restaurant community starting a connection that has strengthened both participants over the last three decades.

The culture of food began to penetrate B.C. wineries and the culture of wine similarly grew in city restaurants. All the while thePlayhouse took the torch from Robert Mondavi in 1979, growing bigger and better each year with help from the same consulate protection the Four Seasons pioneered. The result is British Columbia is a much better place to work, live and play.

Whether you find yourself this week in the midst of the best consumer wine show on the continent, or perhaps sitting at a bar infront of a sleek Enomatic wine dispenser with 20 wine selections perfectly preserved under gas, give a thought to some of the events that are all part of British Columbia's thriving culture of wine and food.

M. Chapoutier Domaine de Bila-Haut Rouge 2012, Côtes du Roussillon, France

Price      $16

UPC       03391181381031

Score    90/100

Remarks              I could tell you this wine is awash in floral, savoury, black fruit aromas or that the attack is round and juicy with plummy, wild smoky, peppery, fruit flavours but it's easier to say the wine is delicious from front to back. Drink now or over the next three to five years. A fabulous example of bio-dynamically grown fruit a giveaway price. Back up the truck.

Wine Chateau de Nages Butinages Rouge Grenache - Syrah - Mourvèdre 2011, Rhone

Valley, France

Price      $20

UPC       3760036077830

Score    88/100

Remarks              Medium colour, wet stone, mineral, red fruit nose with bits of cassis and raspberry. The palate is dry stony briary mix of meaty, earthy, spicy liquorice notes. Definitely food-friendly if a little on the wine geek side. Try it with grilled lamb chops.

Pierre Sparr Extrem Riesling 2011, Alsace, France

Price      $22

UPC       003263530020420

Score    89/100

Remarks              The old saying you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink it seems a fitting description of the Sparr Extrem Riesling. The 2010 seemed to be in stores forever and as good as it is the listing has finally expired and another delicious version of this cutting edge Alsace riesling has arrived. We love the fresh, dry attack, the honey, pear and citrus nose that previews similar cool steely, guava lemon flavours. Food friendly and under screwcap. Excellent value.

Gérard Bertrand Chateau L'Hospitalet La Reserve La Clape 2011, Languedoc, France

Price      $27

UPC       3514123101652

Score    89/100

Remarks              Continued success here with smoky, meaty, chocolate, peppery, black cherry, floral, licorice, herb and orange aromas. Rich, ripe, suave, juicy palate with big plum, black cherry, chocolate, licorice, peppery, savoury, meaty, garrigue flavours. Nice length and texture that should improve over the next 2-3 years.

Wine Peter Lehmann The Futures Shiraz 2009, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia

Price      $30.00

UPC       00032726001870

Score    88/100

Remarks              Futures is classic Barossa from its inviting blueberry, blackberry, liquorice, cedar scented nose to its fresh, juicy palate marked by coffee, menthol, chocolate, spice and white pepper. It has fine intensity and fruit with some acidity pushing through the warm back end. Try this with lamb chops.

Paul Hobbs Chardonnay 2011, Russian River, Sonoma County, California, United States

Price      $63

UPC       897941000158

Score    90/100

Remarks              The Hobbs style is always full on but no longer super fat. The attack is round with a slightly oily texture and ripe mango, peach, honey, butterscotch flavours flecked with vanilla, cinnamon and baked apple flavours form the oak. Good acidity but rich and if not fat on the finish but all with a touch of austerity. Perfect with Dungeness crab.