B.C. gets chance to sip new Bordeaux today
Nothing brings wine geeks out like the annual Bordeaux release. This year, the famed region of France is shipping 2014 vintages around the world for wine lovers and collectors to snap up.
B.C. Liquor Stores are getting their share and will start to sell the wines today at 13 Signature stores, including Kelowna’s Orchard Place.
It’s the one time of the year people actually line up outside liquor stores, waiting for them to open.
What makes Bordeaux worth clamouring for?
Well, the 54 appellations that make up this region of southwest France are blessed with the the perfect Atlantic maritime climate for growing grapes in the limestone-and-calcium-rich soils.
In all, 8,500 wineries, or chateaus, cover 120,000 hectares of vineyards and produce 700 million bottles of wine a year.
Much of it is good everyday table wine, but some of it is also high-quality, limited-quantity bottles that makes up the annual Brodeaux release in the fall that creates a flap across the globe.
The reds are the most sought after for their classic Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
But there’s also the traditional Bordeaux white blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillion and maybe a little Muscadelle.
The Kelowna store will get a few whites, including Carmes de Rieussec ($25) and Chateau Reynon ($29).
But, it will be reds that will spur the buying frenzy, from the more-affordable Chateau Carignan ($30) and Chateau Le Bosqu ($45) to the special La Chapelle De La Mission Haut Brion ($100) and the most-expensive Chateau Mouton Rothchild ($880).
You’ll have to go to one of the Signature Liquor Stores in Vancouver if you want to get your hands on the priciest release – the $3,000 Chateau Petrus Pomerol.
The 2014 reds are considered the best Bordeaux vintage since 2010, so buyers might want to drink a little now as well as put bottles away to age.
Last year, $1.9 million worth of Bordeaux sold in the first two days of the release in B.C.
Of course, you can buy Bordeaux wines year-round, but this weekend is special for the availability of the limited new releases.
Events
No need to fret now the Fall Okanagan Wine Festival is over.
Wine events will continue to flow through the fall and winter so you need not go without a glass in your hand or food on your plate.
For instance, on Sunday numerous wineries will be pouring samples at the Naramata Slow Harvest Supper at Naramata Centre’s Columbia Hall, from 3 to 6 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for kids at EventBrite.com and includes the pork entree barbecued onsite by Jay Drysdale of Bella Homestead Farm.
Since it’s a potluck-syle community meal, everyone’s asked to bring a dish to share.
It being a slow dinner focused on relaxing to enjoy local bounty, potluckers are urged to use as much Okanagan product as possible in the dishes they bring.
There will also be a preserve exchange, where you can bring a jar of your favourite homemade jam, canned fruit or pickles and take home a jar of one of your neighbours.
“Following the magic of our first longtable dinner last year, with the energy of the amazing community of Naramata, the inspiration of our local and seasonal food and drink, we are thrilled to be creating a new table to share new recipes and make more friends at this year’s harvest supper,” said Miranda Halladay of Naramata Slow.
The Naramata Slow Harvest Supper is organized by the Naramata Slow Committee, which promotes the town’s Cittaslow designation, one of only three in Canada.
Cittaslow originated in Italy in 1999 and has spread around the world with a mandate encouraging people to slow down the pace of their life and enjoy high-quality, locally-sourced food and drink with family, friends and community.
Kelowna’s CedarCreek Winery is into fall and winter with weekend lunches at its Vineyard Terrace restaurant; tasting experiences in its wine shop, cellar and after hours; its annual Women & Wine event; and even pictures with Santa as it gets closer to Christmas. Check out CedarCreek.bc.ca. Mission Hill Winery in West Kelowna has expended its wildly popular culinary classes schedule this fall and winter to include sessions such as traditional Italian, simply seafood, classical Mediterranean, South American fusion, carnivore cooking, mystic India and Mexican fiesta.
Check out MissionHillWinery.com.
Futures
Wine is so much better when paired with food and tourism.
The B.C. Wine Institute already knows that and has a mandate to not only promote VQA (vintners quality alliance) wines, but the food it’s matched with in an Okanagan wine country setting.
The institute is hosting the inaugural Wine & Culinary Tourism Futures conference Tuesday through Friday at Kelowna’s Manteo Resort to bring together Okanagan stakeholders as well as experts from across the world.
Keynote speakers include winemaker Howard Soon, who spent 37 years at Calona and Sandhill wines before moving on to Vanessa Winery in the Similkameen; Master of Wine and owner of Little Farm Winery in Cawston Rhys Pender; and experts from Australia, Italy, New Zealand and Oregon.
Registration for the entire four days at WineAndCulinaryTourismFutures.ca for $800, $300 for a single day, or $200 for the social package including evening mixers and three winery tours.
There’s also a two-day post conference jaunt to the South Okanagan for $540 that includes overnight accommodation, meals and tours and tastings at nine wineries.
Business as usual
Black Hills Winery is assuring customers continuity and improvement with the Oliver property being purchased by Andrew Peller Limited.
Peller bought Black Hills, Gray Monk in Lake Country and Tinhorn Creek in Oliver last month in a blockbuster deal worth $95 million.
The consolidation has raised questions the Okanagan wine scene is now controlled by three main players and that may not be good for the industry.
“We’ve called this our continual quality evolution,” said Black Hills president Glenn Fawcett.
“They (Peller) have pledged to give Black Hills the financial resources to evolve our wine and our events beyond our wildest dreams.”
Black Hills winemaker Graham Pierce is staying on, as is grape grower Steve Carberry and manager of hospitality Pauline Gagnon.
In addition to its new acquisitions, Peller also has Peller Estates, Sandhill, Calona/Conviction, Wayne Gretzky and Red Rooster wineries in the Okanagan, plus several wineries in Ontario.
The two other conglomerates in the Valley are Constellation, which has Jackson-Triggs, Inniskillin, Sumac Ridge, See Ya Later Ranch, Nk’Mip and Arterra, and Mark Anthony Brands, which owns Mission Hill, CedarCreek, CheckMate, Martin’s Lane and Prospect.