Marquis Wine offers taste of ’14 Bordeaux
Marquis Wine Cellars at 1034 Davie St. is offering a first look to taste and buy wines from the highly touted 2014 Bordeaux vintage.
The tasting and release event for ticket holders will run from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Saturday. After 11 a.m., the store will open as usual and all remaining wines will be available to the public for purchase. A total of 10 wines, representing most of the major regions of Bordeaux, will be poured at the event.
Tickets are $39 (refunded with any purchase over $400) from marquis-wines.com, or call 604684-0445.
Okanagan College is offering a wine sales certificate program as part of its continuing studies.
The program provides an introduction to grape growing, winemaking, an understanding of legal regulations and standards within the industry, marketing and sales strategies, knowledge of wine shop management, and winery promotions.
A variety of projects and field trips are included in the program’s 147 hours of course work and practical experience. Details at okanagan.bc.ca.
B.C. WINE OF THE WEEK
Clos du Soleil Capella Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon 2015, British Columbia
$27.90 | 88/100 UPC: 857088000770
Sauvignon and Semillon have been blended for ages in Bordeaux. It’s the same recipe at Clos du Soleil. In an age of skinny Sauvignon Blanc, this barrelfermented and aged white is a softer, smoother offering, playing on elegance and complexity — the latter to come with bottle age. The nose is fresh with citrus, lime rind, guava and grapefruit aromas and flavours that tumble onto its rich palate. Would we like a bit more acidity — who wouldn’t on 2015? — but it’s the layers of flavours that make this wine. The finish is all Similkameen, with a salty/ mineral undertone. Most seafood works here, but so too will roast chicken or pork. Drink through 2020. Winery direct, private wine shops.
WINE FOR THE CELLAR
Tantalus Old Vines Riesling 2014, Okanagan Valley
$30.35 | 92/100 UPC: 626990067429
One of our iconic labels, Old Vines is made from the original Riesling vines (1978) planted to a single two-acre plot. The fruit is farmed sustainably, cropped low and cellared for two years before release. This savoury Riesling certainly is a stunner, and among the best yet from Tantalus. Broken stones, wild herbs, earthy grasses and eraser notes undercut a lifted tone of lime pith, green apple, verbena, and tight pear. You can enjoy this now with herb-roasted chicken, but its future is bright for many years down the road. Winery direct, private wine shops.