One bottle, two bottle, red bottle, blue bottle

So let's talk South African wine. I'll be honest and say there are a few areas around the world that kinda leave me with puzzled thoughts of "really...they make wine there?" South Africa was one of them. So I'm gunna start with a quick run down of their climate. It's classified as Mediterranean which means intense sunlight and dry heat, with winters being cold and wet, sometimes snow in higher elevations. 

Their top 3 grape varieties grown are Chenin Blanc, Cab Sauv, and Colombard, but the varietal that's considered their signature variety is the Pinotage. It's a cross breed of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut, created way back when in 1925. The grapes got kind of a bad rep, it's biggest drawback is during the wine making process it has a tendency to develop Isoamyl Acetate which leaves the wine smelling like paint, gross! and not very inviting. Most often it's used in blends or fortified wine but over the years they've steadily found ways to combats its stinky reputation to make some decent wines. For example, there's a certain strain of yeast they use during fermentation, added with the help of heavily oak staves that produces a strong coffee and dark chocolate flavour. Thus creating what is now called a "Coffee Pinotage." Which brings me to this delight in a glass, The Grinder 2011 Pinotage.

I gotta say once again how much I love a winery that has a "cool" label. I mean come on, it's the first thing people see, and I can't even count the number of times people have told me they bought that particular wine solely because they liked the label. This one to me looks like it was designed by Dr. Seuss, it's fun and silly and is a perfect portrayal of what's inside, coffee mixed with grapes, seriously, but not actually. It never ceases to amaze me the flavours you can get out of wine, this one blew me away.

As soon as you open the bottle it's like you just walked into your favourite coffee house, espresso beans, mocha, and hints of caramel wafting from it's barber shop top. The palate was full of coffee, dark chocolate and wild berries (think blueberries and blackberries), smooth with a dry finish. I felt like I should be drinking this in place of my morning tea, haha, just kidding, I have a no wine before noon rule, gotta keep things under control ya know...well, except for Mimosa's annnnd maybe Sangria if it's sunny enough ^o^

All in all I was pretty impressed, go South Africa! The price was only about $15 too. So if you're a avid coffee drinker I highly suggest trying this wine and lemme know how it compares to your favourite Americano

Nothing like a punch in the face

Now as much as I say I love every varietal out there, it's not entirely true. I'm gunna be honest and admit that I'm not particularly a huge fan of Shiraz/Syrah (Exactly the same grape by the way, just a different name to make things totally confusing for people). 

Pretty much anything remotely spicy, peppery or leaves your mouth feeling like it's on fire I steer clear of. That being said, I know there are a lot of Shiraz/Syrah's out there that don't have these "hot" qualities, but for the most part that's what people want or expect out of it.

When we brought this wine into the store a few months ago I couldn't resist grabbing a bottle. The label, the name, the write up on the back, it all intrigued me and made me smile - sold!

2008 Punch in the Face Shiraz from Australias Barossa Valley. Make sure you're sitting down for this one, at 16.7% it's gunna knock you on your ass. As soon as I opened the bottle I could smell the pepper <sigh>. When I dipped my nose in again I got some ripe berry and cherry notes. I swirled it around, took a gulp, let it sit for a second, then swallowed. It had a bright acidic beginning then slowly let go into black pepper and dark jammy flavours with a nice smooth finish. After letting the bottle open up for about a hour or so I had another glass and my exact quote word for word in my wine notes were "Peppery to the MAX! capitals and all, hahaha. I did enjoy it and I would probably get it again. It would be great with some BBQ meat or a hearty stew. Overall at $25 a bottle, it was the only punch in the face that I've ever felt good about.

Fuzion

Despite it now looking all dark and gloomy out, this wine has always been one of my favourite summer sunshine staples, Fuzion - Chenin Torrontes from Argentina.

First I wanna talk about the varietal's. Chenin Blanc aka. Chenin is a white grape originally from France and is arguably one of the most versatile of all wine grape varieties. From plain old table white to sparkling to dessert, it's even used in brandy in some parts of the world. Most often you'll find aromas and flavours of apples, honey and melon with hints of grass or hay.

Torrontes also a white grape is originally from Argentina, and for the most part is ONLY grown in Argentina. There have been some - but very few plantings in Chile, and sometimes you'll find a Spanish Torrontes but there is no DNA evidence between the two that they are related. The best Torrontes are highly aromatic, really floral and loads of citrus. Peaches, oranges and lychee and just a few of a flavours you'll find, sometimes even a little spice!

Now for wine itself, it's a pale straw colour with glimmers of green. Aromas of jasmine, violets and citrus. The palate is light and fresh with medium acidity, loads of tropical fruit and peaches. I first tried it maybe about 2-3 years ago and it's always kept me coming back for more, annnnnnd drum roll please.... it's like $12! Uh-mazing, go get a bottle and hope that summer comes back soon.

Bloom

A few weeks ago I received a email invite to Bloom, also knows as the BC spring release wine tasting! I was sooooo excited for this event, I love BC wine and already knew of a few new ones that I was looking forward to trying along with some old favorites.

I also got to bring 2 guests, the man was my first choice but he had to work. So I brought my 2 friends Wilder and Dustin who both knew next to nothing about wine. Which in the long run turned out to be a good thing because it gave me the chance to refresh my BC wine memory.

As one would expect I had a awesome time! I had a mental list of all the new wines I wanted to try first which was good because the place filled up pretty quickly. 

But instead of blabbering on and on about ALL the wines that were there, I'm just gunna highlight a few that I particularly enjoyed. I also have to apologize for the lack of reds, I tried to stick mostly to whites and rose's as to not annihilate my pallet. I got a few reds in at the end but I'll have to admit I was a wee bit tipsy by then and it was hard to remember even after looking through my blurry pictures

Therapy 2011 Sauvignon Blanc - These guys never disappoint me. Strong aromas of lemon and grapefruit rind. Matching the nose I could taste grapefruit, along with some grassy notes, finishing with nice tart green apple flavours.

Perseus 2010 Sauvignon Blanc - Kinda opposite of the previous Sauv. This one had more green apple on the nose and loads of citrus and grapefruit on the pallet, just all round lip-smackingly good!

Dirty Laundry 2011 Woo Woo Gewürztraminer - For some reason I always forget about this wine and only remember it when I'm removing the tag because we've sold out. Lemme start by saying this wine was Deeeeelish with a capital D. A bouquet of roses and lychee fruit filled my nose, while peach, apple and honeysuckle flavours coated my mouth. Not too dry and not too sweet, with a nice lingering luscious finish.

Cedar Creek Ehrenfelser 2011 - Remember when I wrote about Summerhills Ehrenfelser and how awesome it was, well make way cause Cedar Creek is coming to town. I enjoyed this one a lot more mostly because I got way more fruit on the pallet and it didn't taste at all carbonated (not that Summerhill's is, it just kinda tastes like it is). It both tasted and smelled like the most delicious fruit salad ever! Loads of peaches, nectarines, and pears. I totally went back for a second taste before leaving and I'm sure I'll defiantly be going through many bottles this summer.

Hillside Rose 2011 - A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Gamay and Pinot Noir. I was excited to try this because of my love for there Muscat. Aromas of wild flowers and red berries, the taste was very, very light but I managed to get some raspberry and cherries. Had a juicy long finish, and easily pushed it's way into one of my top 5 Rose's.

Quails Gate Reserve Pinot Noir 2008 - I love a good Pinot and this one was no disappointment. Cherries plum and vanilla, well balanced. I got a little something something in the middle - bit of a earthy taste, a little chewy. Super nice and smooth, only drawback is it's $45 a bottle, which to be honest is pretty decent considering how much I enjoyed it, I'm just a cheap ass. Maybe I'll splurge for my birthday.

Vista D'oro Fortified Walnut Wine 2007 - I never thought in a million years that I would ever be drinking Port/Fortified wine and liking it, but my experiences have been good. And this lovely little guy is made with green walnuts that have been soaked in Brandy! There's also some Foch, Merlot, Cab Franc in their. The taste is a mix of sweet raisins and earthy walnuts. Smooth and rich with a nice long lingering finish that leaves your mouth salivating for more!

And that's all for now folks. Go out and get yourself a bottle of BC's best. Thanks again Wilder and Dustin for accompanying me. I also forgot to mention how fantastic the food was -crab cakes, chicken skewers with satay sauce, salmon, and cheese galore! Yum Yum! Dusting was ALL about the goat cheese :D

The Pyramid

"Celebrating nature's perfection" 

A statement very fitting for Summerhill Pyramid Winery. They prize themselves for their organic growing practices (no herbicides or pesticides) and in 2007 officially became Canadian certified organic, which they can proudly display on their bottles. Soon to become BC's first bio-dynamic vineyard (sometime in 2012?), Summerhill practices a method of farming that embodies the ideal of ever-increasing ecological self-sufficiency just as with modern agro-ecology, but includes ethical-spiritual considerations. This type of viticulture perceives the farm as a cohesive, interconnected living system. 

The Summerhill Pyramid is second only to the Great Pyramid of Egypt for alignment and precision. It is built with no ferrous metals, has no electricity inside, and is aligned to true north. The aging period is the final step in the production process where the wine recovers from bottle shock and is infused with the music of the spheres. They age, barrel and finish wines in this geometrically precise Pyramid.

I've had few Summerhill wines at past tastings and don't remember them as being "bad". I've never purchased a bottle due mostly to the fact that it's kind of expensive for something that didn't "blow me out of the water". But my cheapness/patience paid off when they finally put their wine on sale.  Most bottles were at least $5 off. That plus my staff discount made the time ripe. They have quite a selection to choose from, over two dozen, everything from a Sparkling to a Zweigelt. 
I was feeling a white and decided to branch out and got the 2011 Ehrenfelser, a varietal that I knew nothing about. 

I assumed it must of been a German varietal (correct!), and knew it was going to be a little on the sweeter side (also correct!).  It is apparently a cross breed of Riesling and Silvaner that was created Dr. Heinrich Birk in 1929 at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute...what, what?

The wine was fantastic! I couldn't even believe it was wine, it went down so light and sweet. It tasted like it had a slight spritz to it which I figure comes from it being somewhat acidic. Loads of apple and peach flavours, a bit of citrus and tropical fruit. Such a perfect hot sunny day wine. In the end I was actually a little "blown away". Now I have to not only try another Ehrenfelser; but also more Summerhill!

The Wise Men of Gotham

I love a wine that has a good story behind its name! This particular wine comes from Southern Australia, while the name originates from a small town called Gotham just outside Nottingham, England.  Most of the stories surrounding Gotham lead us to believe that the whole village was inhabited by idiots.

A certain more “digestible” story iterates that King John was suppose to move into the neighborhood worrying the villagers of  increasing taxes.  So, in order to fool King John, the inhabitants began acting like; well... fools. When some of the Kings men arrived to check the place out, they reported back with some strange stories. Apparently some of the villagers were attempting to drown an eel they claimed was killing their fish.  Others were moving carts of wood to the side of a barn to “shade it from the sun”.  Some were trying to build a fence around a cuckoo bird they’d heard in a bush thinking it would make springtime last longer. In case you were wondering... the bird flew away.  In the end King John decided to move elsewhere and was convinced the village was indeed full of fools. Problem solved! And so arose the names “The Fools of Gotham” or the “The Wise men of Gotham.” Taken from the story above, these guys call themselves "The Wine Men of Gotham." Haha. Get it!? 

Attracting me instantly to this wine was the fantastic label. The 3 men on the front pay homage to the pranksters of Gotham who acted mad to achieve their ends.  It is beautiful vintage-esque art done by John Jewell Design co.  who specialize in wine labels and also based out of Australia. 

Now, as for the wine itself, this was a 2008 Shiraz/Grenache, and spent 18 months in American oak. The colour was a light blueberry, yet a little more strawberry towards the outside edge. The nose was full of dark berries; blueberry, blackberry, black cherries, a bit of raspberry and a slight earthiness. Right away when it hit my mouth all I could think of was eating spoonfuls of warm homemade blackberry jam.  Velvety and smooth on the palate, all around the wine had a very lush taste and feel with dusty tannins. There was a slightly acidic finish but after letting the wine breathe for ½ an hour or so, it balanced out completely and was extremely enjoyable. And the last (or first) thing to love about this wine, it was like $15!  After hearing all that you would have to be a “fool” not to give this wine a try!

In need of a little Therapy?

One of the first wines that I came across that I completely fell in love with is from Therapy Vineyards located along the Naramata Bench in the Okanagan. It was their 2008 Pinot Noir, I stress the 2008 because for me their last 2 vintages just didn’t have the same wow factor.

The label on most of their bottles have some form of a rorschach design on them, a few others - Freud's Ego, Super Ego, or the Pink Freud all have some other “Therapy” inspired picture. 

This particular wine had a beautiful deep ruby purple colour, the nose full of cherry and raspberry with hints of vanilla. The palate for the most part matches the nose but also has a bit of a leather taste. It’s pretty full bodied for a pinot, smooth with fine tannins and bright acidity.

I downed this bottle like nobody's business, which for a tiny girl such as myself meant by the end I was completely wasted. It wasn’t until maybe a year and half, almost 2 years later that I got into the habit of buying particular wines that I liked and saving them. It took me awhile to find this one again seeing how 2 more vintages had been released since my first encounter, but alas hidden behind some 2009’s I found one, and now I wait for the perfect day for my taste buds to reminisce in its deliciousness!