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Friday, October 25, 2002 The who's who of the B.C.
Friday, October 25, 2002
The who's who of the B.C. wine community is expected in Victoria on Nov. 7 for the presentation ceremonies of the second Canadian Wine Awards.
The awards, developed by Wine Access magazine and sponsored by Air Canada, arise from a week-long tasting held at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria earlier this summer pitting most every wine worth tasting in Canada against each other in a blind tasting.
The Canadian Wine Awards will jump start the Second Victoria Symphony Wine Festival, a weekend of fine wine and food and a fund raiser for the symphony organized by Axel Binneboese, director of food and beverage at the Fairmont Empress.
In all, 36 invited wineries will attend to pour a wide variety of wine for the public and trade, and, as promised by Binneboese, the entire roster differs from last year's outstanding lineup.
The three-day festival features a public tasting Friday, Nov. 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $55 and they include a professional Riedel tasting glass, another sign of the festival's commitment to quality.
Saturday begins with a lunch and a live one-hour radio show on food and wine for entertainment in the Bengal Lounge followed by a series of seminars. Chocolate and Port involves renowned chocolate aficionado and Piedmont winery owner Robert Bava, while Strong Reds and Island Cheeses will feature Saltspring Island cheese maker David Wood at the rostrum.
The weekend highlight is the Investors Group black-tie dinner Saturday night at 7:30 in the Empress Room. Tickets to the $250 dinner are selling quickly thanks to a lineup of outstanding wines that include 1998 Seña, a Chilean superstar red; the Jimmy Watson trophy winner De Bortoli Reserve 1996 GS Shiraz, a pair of fabulous pinot noirs from Byron Nielson Vineyard (Santa Barbara) and Hartford Seven Bench (Russian River) as well as Champagne de Venoge Blanc de Blanc and Fonseca 1987 Vintage Port and others.
It all wraps up Sunday with a Times-Colonist Brunch ($55) from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring food served by several island restaurants, the participating wineries and music courtesy of the Victoria Symphony.
For more information on weekend rates and individual tickets, call the Empress at (250) 389-2727 or check out the Web site at www.victoriawinefestival.ca
For those you unable to get away to Victoria here are six wines from the festival you can enjoy at home:
The Gray Monk Odyssey Pinot Gris 2001 is made from the original pinot gris vines planted at the Winfield winery in 1976. A later harvest in 2001 provided the necessary depth of character sought under the reserve Odyssey labels. Its stainless steel ferment captures the essence of northern B.C. fruit, with lots of citrus streaks, apricot and just a touch of butter on the back end. Fresh, cool, clean and delicious.
The Thomas Hyland Chardonnay 2001 has been a favourite from the first sip and it continues to impress. The label is an offshoot of the Yattarna project (Penfolds' unofficial quest to create a white wine the equal of its flagship Grange Shiraz). Easily the best Australian chardonnay at its price point, the Hyland has lemon zest and grapefruit flavours mixed with toasted oak and creamy lees. Long and complex, it sets a new standard for chardonnay under $25.
Valdivieso 2001 Merlot is the winery's entry-level merlot but it's well worth tasting. Look for an exuberant peppery, resiny, black cherry nose with typical crushed-leaf aromas. Ripe primary fruit marks the palate with smooth tobacco, cherry, cassis flavours. Good value.
Torres and the Coronas label are well know to even the casual Spanish wine drinker, but the Gran Coronas Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva is a jump up in weight and style and worth the detour. The nose is awash in cassis and pepper flavours with streaks of tobacco in the background. The flavours are a mix of earth and cassis. The finish is dry and angular but will diminish with time or food.
From the hot Côtes du Rhône is 1999 Reserve Perrin, a blended red of roughly 60 per cent grenache with a 20/10/10 mix of syrah, mourvèdre and cinsault. The nose is packed with blackberry/cherry aromas, while on the palate the flavours are a mix of earth and black fruit. The finish is dry and stylish, suggesting a starring role at the dinner table.
The 2000 Weighbridge Shiraz, a bit light in colour for a shiraz, has leafy, weedy, coffee aromas and just a touch of pepper in the finish. Smooth and round in the mouth, it is easy to drink. Not a blockbuster, rather a mild introduction to Oz shiraz. Serve with grilled chicken.
VICTORIA WINE FESTIVAL PARTICIPANTS
Producer: Gray Monk 2001 Pinot Gris Odyssey, Okanagan Valley
Price: $19.95; winery only or restaurants
Stock No.: 620369
Score: 16/20
Comments: Fresh, cool, clean and delicious.
Producer: Penfolds Hyland 2001 Chardonnay Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Price: $21.95
Stock No.: 611228
Score: 16/20
Comments: Fresh, new, outstanding.
Producer: Valdivieso 2001 Merlot, Central valley, Chile
Price: $13
Stock No.: 412882
Score: 14/20
Comments: Soft supple, minty red.
Producer: Torres 1997 Gran Coronas
Don Miguel Torres Cabernet Sauvignon Penedès, Spain
Price: $18.95
Stock No.: 036483
Score: 15.5/20
Comments: Rich chewy red.
Producer: Perrin Reserve 1999, Côtes Du Rhône, France
Price: $17.95
Stock No.: 363457
Score: 15/20
Comments: Rich, sleek French dinner red.
Producer: Peter Lehman 2000 Weighbridge Shiraz, South East Australia
Price: $16.99
Stock No.: 611442
Score: 13.5/20
Comments: Light, peppery, easy sipper style.
