So many things to do and wines to drink
The Bottle Kurtis Kolt
In our day-to-day lives, there are plenty of times and places that we enjoy wine, right? Some of our favourite experiences with the stuff revolve around epic meals full of revelry, surrounded by friends or family. Other times, it’s on a patio or our balcony, eyes squinting in the sun as we swirl a chipper white or rosé in our glass.
Hell, there’s certainly even nothing wrong with a hearty Chardonnay and a bowl of popcorn whilst binging on our latest Netflix addiction, yeah?
This week, we’re going to look at another stretch when wine can be particularly pleasurable: those times when we’re getting ready to head out on the town. Those in-between moments when we’re getting gussied up to hit the theatre, or slapping on sunscreen to venture out to various summer festivities, doing those last few around-the-house things when a splash of something to get us in the mood may be in order.
With Vancouver’s summer calendar chocka-block with fun things to do, there’s no shortage of inspiration. Here are a handful of things going on around town, along with a little suitable something to wet your whistle.
SKY LEAKS AND LENS CLEANING—SCOTT MCFARLAND
(To June 9, Monte Clark Gallery) I’ve always enjoyed Toronto photographer Scott Mcfarland’s experimental photography for its vividness and complexity. In this show (a double feature, really), for the Sky Leaks component, he incorporates imperfections in lightboxed cloud images damaged by exposure to light and water. With Lens Cleaning, he presents imagery documenting his process, like cleaning camera lenses with his T-shirt and leaving dust on them, which affects his final work. It’s all quite natural and honest, embracing these influences and imperfections. There’s a similar thread woven through Michael Shindler’s wines out of British Columbia’s Similkameen Valley, a project he dubs A Sunday in August. He makes wine from small lots of purchased fruit; varieties like Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir have been some of my favourites of late. His wines are naturally fermented, unfined and unfiltered, with minimal sulphur added as preservative. Because he’s not a fan of intervening too much in the process, these wines are also honest and will evolve in bottle. There may be a touch of cloudiness or sediment here or there. His crisp and snappy 2015 Riesling ($21.65, Marquis Wine Cellars) is currently buoyed by fresh lemon and pink grapefruit, crisp acidity, and a hint of salinity, but we can likely expect it to become honeyed, with marmalade and petrol notes, as we tear pages off the calendar. For more information and local availability, visit www. asundayinaugust.com/.
one of Italy’s many indigenous grape varieties: Pecorino! Sheep Thrills Pecorino Terre di Chieti 2016 (Abruzzo, Italy; $13.99, B.C. Liquor Stores) is perfect for sunny summer days. Bite into this juicy peach of a wine and enjoy its breezy citrus fruit, fresh oregano, sage, and brilliant acidity.
THE THINGS WE GROW—GATHIE FALK
(May 26 to June 30, Equinox Gallery) The frames on the walls can barely contain the abundance of flowers and plant life in Order of Canada recipient Gathie Falk’s paintings; one can almost take in their aromatics. On the same token, I recently stopped in my tracks upon taking my first whiff of Emandare Vineyard Siegerrebe Gewürztraminer 2016 (Vancouver Island, B.C.; $23, www.emandarevine yard.ca/), with its fragrant rose petals and jasmine. How refreshing to have something so floral and tropical (think litchi and passion fruit) still finish dry as a bone, making it all the more refreshing. A summer sipper, indeed! I recently spotted the last bunch from the 2015 vintage at Marquis Wine Cellars; nab ’em while you still can.
MAMMA MIA! (Through August 12, Stanley Theatre) The famous goodtime romp—set in the Greek islands, full of wedding bells and ABBA tunes—has been packing the house at the Arts Club’s Stanley Theatre on Granville since opening earlier this spring. Let’s set the scene from the southern coast of Greece with Katogi & Strofilia Syn+ White Dot 2016 (Peloponnese PGI, Greece; $20 to $25, private liquor stores). Although its varietal blend of Moschofilero and Roditis may not be familiar, a couple of quick sips and this crunch of Granny Smith apple and nectarine, drenched in fresh lime and tethered with a little grapefruit pith, won’t be a stranger for long. While it’ll put you in the mood for the musical’s sunny setting, you may want to allow time to tuck into some fresh local seafood to go with it before you call that cab.