YOUR GUIDE TO THE VIWF TASTING ROOM

Sun wine expert Anthony Gismondi presents his annual insider’s guide to Vancouver International Wine Festival

2018-02-24 -

S PA I N

There is something very likable about Spanish wine and its producers. Maybe it is the underdog thing when measured against France or Italy, perhaps it’s the small producer culture, or the lack of conformity that is the charm. A plethora of indigenous grapes and naturally low-yielding vines that simply won’t overproduce is another asset. But I will leave it to you to connect the dots by tasting the wines and the meeting people that are pushing the envelope.

Alvaro Palacios

■ Camins del Priorat (Priorat, Spain, $34.99)

Bodegas

■

Alvear Palacio Quemado La Zarcita 2016 (Andalusia, Spain, $25)

Artadi El

■

Sequé Monastrell 2016 (Alicante, Spain,$58)

Cellers Beronia del Montsant Cims

■

2012 (Monsant, Spain, $15)

Les Vins Bonhomme El Grand Bonhomme

■ Tempranillo 2013 (Castilla y Leon, Spain, $30)

Campo Viejo White Tempranillo

■

Viura 2016 (Rioja, Spain, $12.35)

CVNE Compañía Vinícola del Norte

■

de España Monopole Blanco 2016 (Rioja, Spain, $19)

Bodegas Juan Gil Honoro Vero

■

Organic Monastrell 2015 (Jumilla, Spain $17.50)

Juvé & Camps Gran Reserva Juvé

■

2013 (Penedès, Spain $49.50)

Marqués de Murrieta Pazo Barran

■

tes Albarino 2016 (Rioja, Spain $37)

Marqués de Riscal Rueda Verdejo

■

Blanco 2016 (Rueda, Spain $19)

Bodega de Moya Maria de Moya

■

Bobal 2015 (Valencia and Murcia, Spain, $29)

Parés Baltà/Gratavinum Grata

■

vinum 2(pi)R 2012 (Priorat, Spain, $52)

Bodegas Rosario Vera, Honoro Vera

■

Rioja 2016 (Rioja, Spain $21.99)

PORTUGAL

Portuguese winemakers have made the heroic decision to preserve a heritage of more than 250 native grape varieties, most of which do not exist elsewhere in the wine world. It’s this diversity and its direct connection to a rich past that is propelling the modern wines of Portugal forward. This is your chance to experience the true meaning of unique as you sample the diverse lineup of Portuguese wines at the festival.

João Portugal Ramos Duorum

■

Colheita 2014 (Douro Valley, Portugal, $26)

Niepoort

■

Dialogo Douro Branco 2015 (Douro Valley, Portugal, $17)

Quintado

■

Crasto, Crasto Superior Red 2015 (Douro Valley, Portugal $30)

Quinta Vale D. Maria VVV Valleys

■

Douro Tinto 2014 (Douro Valley, Portugal $40)

Real Companhia Velha Qt. das Car

■

valhas Touriga Nacional 2014 (Douro Valley, Portugal $28)

SograpeCasa

■

Ferreirinha Planalto Vinho Blanco Reserva 2016 (Douro Valley, Portugal, $16.50)

Taylor Fladgate

■

Quinta de Vargellas 2015 (Douro Valley, Portugal, $75.99)

Vicente Faria Vinhos Animus Vinho

■

Verde 2016 (Vinhos Verde, Portugal $12.50)

FABULOUSLY FORTIFIED

If you love port or any other fortified wine this is the year to check them out. Tasting them in batches makes sense to me, especially near the end of the evening. The mainstream versions sell under sherry, port and Madeira monikers across Spain and Portugal.

Bodegas Alvear Pedro Ximenez Solera

■ 1927 NV (Andalusia, Spain, $30)

Caves Messias Colheita Port 1995

■

(Douro Valley, Portugal $52)

Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Port

■

2015 (Douro Valley, Portugal, $83)

Quinta Vale D. Maria Reserve Port

■

Lote No. 15 NV (Douro Valley, Portugal, $30)

Ramos Pinto 30-Year-Old Tawny

■

Port NV (Douro Valley, Portugal, $113)

Symington Family Estates Graham’s

■ 20-Year-Old Tawny NV (Douro Valley, Portugal, $70)

Symington Family Estates Warre’s

■

Vintage Port 1985 (Douro Valley, Portugal $135)

Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas

■ Vintage Port 2015 (Douro Valley, Portugal, $70)

Taylor Fladgate Single Harvest

■

Tawny Port 1968 (Douro Valley, Portugal, $260)

LOCAL HEROES

British Columbian wines have been so successful our next-door neighbours have banned their sale across Alberta, choosing barrels of oil over barrels of wine in a pipeline political stalemate. B.C. has officially emerged as a niche producer of fine wines, and many of them are in the tasting room this week presenting you with an easy opportunity to catch up with our best.

Black Sage Vineyard Cabernet

■

Franc 2015 (Okanagan Valley, $25)

C.C. Jentsch Syrah 2015 (Oliver,

■

Okanagan Valley, $31.50)

Cassini Cellars Godfather Red 2013

■

(Okanagan Valley, $40)

CedarCreek Platinum Haynes

■

Creek Single Vineyard Viognier 2016 (Okanagan Valley, $29)

Fort Berens Meritage 2015 (British

■

Columbia, $24)

Harper’s Trail Dry Riesling Thad

■

Springs Vineyard Pioneer Block 2016 (Kamloops, $20)

Haywire Switchback Organic

■

Vineyard Pinot Gris 2016 (Summerland, Okanagan Valley, $25)

Hester Creek

■

Block 2 Reserve Merlot 2015 (Golden Mile Bench, Okanagan Valley, $29)

Painted Rock

■

Syrah 2015 (Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, $35)

Poplar Grove

■

Winery Cabernet Franc 2014 (Okanagan Valley, $34)

Quails’ Gate Stewart Family

■

Reserve Pinot Noir 2016 (Okanagan Valley, $44)

COLLECTORS CASE

Festival insiders know that each wine poured at the festival must be available for sale at the on-site liquor store. Since a growing proportion of all the wines brought to the festival are unavailable in government liquor stores, the on-site B.C. Liquor Store can be a treasure trove for collectors. Be prepared to strike early each night when the on-site store opens and look for these highly-collectible labels.

Alvaro Palacios Gratallops Vi de

■

Vila 2014 (Priorat, Spain, $77)

Freixenet Casa Sala Brut Nature

■

2007 (Penedès, Spain, $80)

Familia Castaño Casa C Cisca Monastrell

■ 2012 (Yecla, Spain, $56)

Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi

■

(Campania, Italy, $49)

Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas La Lou

■

vée (Rhone Valley, France, $99)

Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle N/V

■

(Champagne, France, $173)

Lustau Almacenista Gonzalez Ob

■

regon Solera Reserva NV Amontillado del Puerto (Santa Maria, Spain, $50)

Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay

■

Gran Reserva Especial 2007 (Rioja, Spain, $139)

Marqués de Riscal Finca Torrea

■

2015 (Rioja, Spain, $60)

Niepoort Redoma Tinto 2015

■

(Douro Valley, Portugal, $50)

Casa Ferreirinha Douro Quinta da

■

Leda 2014 (Douro Valley, Portugal, $70)

Torres Mas La Plana 2012 (Catalu

■

nya, Spain, $68)

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

You can go through life drinking only Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay but where’s the fun in that? As you wander the tasting room this year think new wines, new appellations, unknown grapes, mysterious blends, and more. Anything but the familiar should be your mantra.

Aveleda Casal Garcia Vinho Verde

■

N/V (Vinhos Verde, Portugal, $10.99)

Atteca Old Vines Vieilles Vignes

■

2015 (Calatayud, Aragon, Spain, $29)

Bodega Garzón Reserva Tannat

■

2015 (Garzon, Maldonado, Uruguay, $24)

Feudo Maccari Grillo 2016 (Sicily,

■

Italy, $21)

Juvé & Camps Essential Xarello

■

2014 (Penedès, Spain, $29)

Suvla

■

Karasakiz 2016 (Gallipoli, Turkey, $27)

Tasca

■

d’Almerita

Regaleali 2016 (Sicily, Italy $20)

SPARKLING ADVENTURES

As you stroll the crowded aisles of the festival, sparkling wine stops are the perfect solution to tannin and oak buildup on the palate. A delicious sip of any of these labels will refresh and prepare your palate for any wines to follow.

Haywire

■

The Bub 2015 (Okanagan Valley, $27)

L’Acadie

■

Vineyards Prestige Brut Estate Organic 2010 (Gaspereau, Nova Scotia, $52)

Arthur Metz Crémant Prestige NV

■

(Alsace, France, $23)

Freixenet

■

Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut N/V (Penedès, Spain, $22)

JVineyards

■

Cuvee 20 Brut NV (Sonoma County, California, $43)

Champagne Laurent Perrier Cuvée

■

Rosé Brut N/V (Champagne, France, $93)

Majella Wines Sparkling Shiraz

■

2012 (Coonawarra, South Australia, $37)

Pares Baltà Brut N/V (Penedès,

■

Spain, $20)

Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad

■

N/V (Penedès, Spain, $32)

Steller’s Jay Pinnacle Méthode

■

Classique 201o (Okanagan Valley, $27)

Unsworth Vineyards Charme De

■

L’ile N/V (Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, $21.65)

BEST BOOTHS

This is an ode to those wineries still coming to Vancouver and bringing their best. Over 40 years there has been a sea change in the global wine landscape making it harder and harder to draw the best as the years go by. That said, if you are going to stand out from the crowd you need to bring your best. Here’s a look some of the top presenters, and a super pick from their lineup.

Alpha Box & Dice, McLaren Vale,

■

Australia: Fog Nebbiolo 2015 ($45)

Álvaro Palacios, Rioja, Spain:

■

Palacios Remondo La Vendimia Rioja 2016 ($25)

Artadi, Rioja, Spain: Santa Cruz de

■

Artazu 2015 ($71)

Fonseca, Douro Valley Portugal:

■

Quinta do Panascal Vintage Port 2008 ($65)