EverythingWINE

When I first walked into the classroom at the back of the Everything Wine North Vancouver store, I was instantly impressed with the white-linen-lined tables adored with pre-poured tasting glasses of the Sacred Hill Wines that we were going to be tasting that evening. The 15 of us participants took our seats after having a personal introduction from Tony Bish, the actual Winemaker from the New Zealand winery. I have participated in wine tastings in the past, even at wineries, yet this was the first time that I actually met the man in charge of finalizing the taste of each wine. I knew I was in for a real treat, along with the four friends I had brought along with me.

Tony began by giving us a little history on the family-owned Sacred Hill Winery, which began its’ journey in 1986. As with many winery names, one tends to question the origins of the chosen name, and Tony made certain to tell us the tale of ‘Sacred Hill’, the known nickname for the town’s local pub. Tony described how the the first vintage of Sauvignon Blanc produced 350 cases and was sold all at once to one single buyer. Today, their amazing Sauvignon Blanc, along with other wine varietals, now produce a combined 400,000 cases of wine a year, and since 2001, Sacred Hill has won multiple awards and medals. I know what you’re thinking – “get on with the wine!”, and just as I was beginning to feel the same about the history lesson, Tony Bish began the fun part of the night – tasting the wines with us!

First up was the original member of the family – the Sacred Hill Sauvignon Blanc. With the first inhale of the lightly coloured wine, my nose was filled with aromas of citrus fruits and green grass. Another deeper sniff brought out aromas of gooseberry and fig, it was everything one would expect from a world famous Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is light and fresh with the perfect acidity to balance the palate. Elements of melon and pineapple come through in addition to the classic citrus and grass flavours. This Sauvignon Blanc had a crisp, clean finish to it; perfect for summer afternoon sitting on the patio!

We soon jumped onto the Sacred Hill Pinot Grigio, which showcased aromas of spicy pear and caramelized ginger and delicious pear & apple flavours. The palate showed gorgeous texture, a smooth finish and low acidity. The Pinot Grigio (or Gris) has a much richer taste when compared to the Sauv Blanc, it was considerably heavier in weight with a dominiating pear taste. Each vintage comes from a single vineyard blend of Pinot Grigio from three stages during the growing season, resulting in a complex wine. This oily-textured wine would be fantastic with a caesar salad or any salad with an oil-dressing on it for that matter.

Tony concluded the whites with a 93 point 2007 Sacred Hill Rifleman’s Chardonnay, and what an amazing treat! The initial smell and taste was incredible; buttery aromas exploded with the first sniff which was no surprise when looking at the thick golden colour of this smooth, nutty wine. Well balanced acidity complimented the wonderful full-bodied texture, while citrus flavours enveloped the rich influencial flavours of the Fench Oak. To those who have never explerienced the joy of a premium Chard, you have to try this amazing wine!

Then we were on to the reds. Tony invited us to try the 2008 Sacred Hill Pinot Noir. My first reaction when I smelled the lighter red-colour vino was “earthy!”, which pays tribute to the land in which these vines struggle to grow. Smells of strawberries and other lighter berries entice you as elements of licorice and spice dance upon your taste buds. This Pinot Noir had a soft and elegant texture to it with a short crisp finish and it was suggested that a delicate wine such as this would pair beautifully with a lamb.

Just when I thought I had found a new Pinot love, the big daddy of the Pinot Noir’s was next: the 2006 Sacred Hill Prospector’s Pinot Noir. The difference between to two Pinots was astounding! The first immediate difference was how much deeper the strawberry flavours were and how much more volume and length this smooth Pinot had. It was love at first sip, and I long for another encounter with my new berry-chocolate flavoured friend.

Tony then introduced us to the Sacred Hill Merlot, hailing from the Gimblett Gravels area. This Merlot smells and tastes like dark berries, olives, cigars and hints of blue cheese. It was far more tannic on the palate compared to the other reds and would pair well with any red meat. Having said all that, and being a Merlot-lover, at $22.99 a bottle, I wasn’t all that impressed with this wine, especially for the price point. It was everything one would expect a Merlot to be; however, I did not find anything too exciting about it. But that’s the joys wine tasting and the fun of the whole experience!

The grand finale was next, and Tony did not disappoint! We completed our evening sampling the Sacred Hill Hemlsman Cabernet Merlot, and oh-my-word, this 97 point wine most certainly earned its status of ranking higher than some of the greatest Bordeauxs in the world. With flavours bursting with dark berries, smoke & spice, pepper , rich plum and leather, the Cabernet Merlot was far superior to its Merlot brother. And at $56.99 a bottle, this is a real treat for a special occasion. If you are able to get a hold of a bottle or three, I highly recommend you do as this wine can be cellared for many years. Buy it today to celebrate the birth of a friend’s child and open it when he or she graduates from high school… or have it tonight.

One thing to note is that every bottle of Sacred Hill has a screw-cap top. Tony said they gave up on corks years ago when they were losing anywhere from 10 to 15 % of their product to corkage. As a relatively young winery, these numbers were unacceptable. Tony mentioned that frequently a wine may be just slightly corked, unnoticeable to most who would assume that the wine just wasn’t good. Business-wise, the traditional cork seems to be more of a problem than its worth just for the romance of uncorking a new bottle, which I found to be the most facinating explanation I have heard in the debate of cork versus screw cap.

The Sacred Hill wine tasting at Everything Wine was an incredible experience, and I do hope that you are all fortunate enough in life to try some of the best that New Zealand has to offer.
 

It’s typical for wineries to put their family name on a label, but how many use their vinicultural heritage as a brand? With the name, 8th Generation Vineyard, the Scahles family is advertising three hundred years of winemaking, mostly in Germany, now in the Okanagan Valley. Apparently, they thought BC was a good place to make aromatic wines.

These first generation Canadians are carrying on the tradition of raising their own next generation in a family winery, producing 3000 cases per year from their estate in Summerland, BC. Bernd works the winemaking side and Stephanie manages the business. I wonder who does the cooking.

Their swirly label design, reminiscent of something in the Guggenheim, surely deserves of an award for best new label. Still, a few of their black labeled previous vintages, emblazoned with the family’s coat of arms, are still around.

8th Generation makes several rieslings, but their 2009 Riesling is consistently delicate, yet refreshing, with no petrol. The mouthfeel is lively and clean with fresh lemon and green apple, and it has a lovely minerality on the finish. A reliable menu pick.

Their 2008 Pinot Gris is beautifully approachable and likeable, great for sipping on the patio. The citric fruit on the nose is fresh and slightly minty and the palate is smooth and full, with lime, peach and passionfruit and a lick of white pepper. The finish is fairly long, trailing with a note of minerality. Very satisfying and easy to drink.

The 2008 Merlot tastes like Christmas to me. It has that mix of spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, anis – put into hard, fruit Christmas candy. Even its woodnotes are spicy. A little tight, this wine commands decanting and time to breathe, but is worth the wait. The fruit profile gets bigger and blacker, and the tannins smooth out. 

In a recent tasting, I also enjoyed their unctuous 2008 Off Dry Riesling. Their Petite Meunier Rosé remains my favorite, and I’m not even into rosés. I also heard they will be releasing a frizzante wine soon, so stay tuned.

Today, I’m definitely going to hit EW’s North Van tasting bar to check out the Pacific Breeze wines. Pacific Breeze, is the first "garagiste" winery in Canada, but what I love about these guys is their use of California fruit, which they haul in refrigerated trucks over a thousand miles to be pressed in New Wesminster.

Ripe whites, chewy reds – I’m there!

June 11th
Pacific Breeze Tasting 4-7 pm

“Study says three glass of wine a day could improve health”- The Mirror. “Moderate drinking linked to better health”– WebMD.
“Drinkers who down a half bottle of wine a day are healthier than teetotalers” – Daily Mail.

Wow, what great news. According to the latest French study, wine is good for you. And it’s not just your heart or your brain that benefits, but your whole life. Your very existence is improved with wine. Praise the lord and pass the bottle!

Turns out what this study means is that if you were happy and healthy to begin with and you haven’t messed yourself up yet, wine can be good for you. So, keep up the moderation. However, if you’re seeking an excuse to drink more, subscribe to Modern Drunkard.

"There's too much talk about the benefits of moderate drinking," said Boris Hansel, lead author of the Paris study. “Let's stop using health arguments to justify the consumption of alcohol.”

I couldn’t agree more. In 99% of the wine discussions I’ve heard, “health” and “benefits” are not among the keywords. People drink wine for the taste, the buzz and the enjoyment with food, not as a tonic. Only my friend Dora drinks wine medicinally, and she’s a teetotaler.

But, if you want to make believe you are doing your body a favor by drinking a glass of wine a day, by all means, imbibe away. Just find yourself a heavy enough red wine to make you feel like your arteries are being scraped.

One option is the Tormaresca 2008 Neprica from Puglia, Italy. No, Neprica is not the wine they drink on the TV show, Caprica; it’s an abbreviation of the wine’s three varietals: NEgroamaro, PRimitivo, and CAbernet (sauvignon). Easy to remember that way.This wine looks very dark and tastes positively black, like the deepest darkest forest. Baked blackberries, savory herbs and licorice dominate the nose, while on the thick, juicy mouth you get a bit of chocolate and earth. If the nose doesn’t make you hungry the acidity will. It’s powerful, but elegant, and great with food.

Porcupine Ridge 2008 Syrah is from Coastal South Africa and might be apropos to drink during the World Cup. A manly wine for a manly game, this wine will transport you to a rural outpost through its aromas of moist soil, ripe berries and a hint of funk. Plummy in the mouth, where sage and rosemary float on notes of tree bark, it’s strong enough to put hair on your chest. The 14.5% alcohol will certainly curl it.

So, live long and enjoy wine, in healthy moderation.

White or red, what should we bring? It’s an age-old social question, pondered by millions of drinkers around the world for millenia. Whether it’s better to bring a white wine in case there is seafood or stinky cheeses, or play it safe with a hearty red, because it pairs with so much and nobody doesn’t like red wine. That is the question and I can answer in one word: both.

It’s always better to have a choice, and two things I found recently made for great dining this week.

Quinta Da Aveleda 2008 Vinho Verde is more of a mouthful than most thin bodied VVs. Helped by the 11.5% alcohol level, it’s viscous feeling and deeply colored. Snappy grapefruit and lemon aromas provide an apt intro to the palate. Lots of citrus going on there and a rush of refreshing acidity leads to a mouth watering, lemony finish. Very sauv blancy that way. Comes in a cool blue bottle, too.

And it’s perfect with a whole salmon wrapped in foil and grilled with lemon slices, Thai basil and parsley. Ok, there was the lemon connection, but the wine’s acidity also cut the fishy fattiness. Its fruit also cooled the heat of the spicy yam fries, also cooked in foil on the grill. The steamed greens made an easy match.

Le Caniette 2007 Rosso Bello is a full throated red from the DOC of Rosso Piceno in the Marche region. A blend of 45% sangiovese, 45% Montupulciano, and 10% cabernet sauvignon, it’s strong enough to defend itself against any high protein dish. Opaque red in color, it has ripe red and black fruit aromas, with a dose of spice and the slightest hint of funk – but funky in a good way. With ample breathing time, it takes on smoky wood notes and violets. The finish is long and persistent, and despite muscular tannins, quite juicy.

Spaghetti and red wine was such an obvious pairing; I thought we’d try this with pesto. The great thing about pesto sauce is that it’s agreeable to reds and whites alike. The Rosso Bello became very friendly with it and showed more structure with the food than on its own. Slices of roast chicken softened its tannins and the basil brought out the fruit. Lovely.

Hey, happy birthday to Everything Wine! Has it really been two years since opening their doors? They’ll be celebrating this weekend with food, wine, prizes and lots of fun.

Cheers to 'em!
 

Happy Victoria Day, Canada! Welcome to your summer! This long weekend marks not only the beginning of summer, but also the barbecue season. Tonight, millions of grills across Canada will be lit for the first time this year, so enjoy that bouquet of smoke and gas in the air.

According to a recent Weber Canadian GrillWatch Survey, the majority of Canadians use gas grills even though they admit that, “food grilled over charcoal results in more aroma and better taste.” Webers says the top all-time favourite barbecue food is steak. Quebec grillers go for chicken; Ontario for ribs, while Maritimers prefer steak. No indication how many British Columbians participated since salmon was not mentioned, but the survey does say that Western Canadians like pineapple on their grilled pizza. Good to know.

We lit our little Weber a week ago, after spending an hour scraping off the memories of last year. I cooked the herbed veggies first, charring as much as possible for that crispy texture. When the coals burned low, the balsamic/orange halibut cooked slowly and evenly. With all that, the Gray Monk Unwooded Chardonnay, which has a tart green apple and honey effect, meshed beautifully with the orange marmalade in the marinade. It also underpowered the grilled zuccini, mushrooms and eggplant, as a chilled white should.

The forecast for this weekend: partly cloudy and red.

Grilled salmon is in order, as are spicy turkey sausages. For all that we’ve got the Aprilskloof red blend from South Africa, and the Angove’s Shiraz Cabernet from Australia.

Lammershoek's Aprilskloof is a well-balanced blend of eight different BBQ friendly varietals: pinotage, zinfandel, cab sauvignon, merlot, grenaché, shiraz, carignan and yes, even viognier. The sum total makes a smooth and generous quaff, brimming with red, black and purple fruit, plus earth, briar and spice. It’s just fruity enough for hot sauces without being sweet.

The Angove’s 2007 Chalk Hill Blue Shiraz Cabernet has the kind of nose that smells like a country road lined with blackberry and raspberry bushes. Ripe elegant fruit with a dusting of warm dirt and spicy wood comes through on the palate, which is quite round and full, and it finishes with juicy acidy, perfect for tomato based sauces. I’ve had it a couple of times and like how stable it remains after being left open several days in room temperature, always the good sign of a well-made wine.

So happy grilling this weekend, and long live Queen Victoria Day!
 

Red Wine, White Wine...Green Wine

     About a week ago I was listening to a CBC report about Quinsam Coal’s application to expand their existing coal mine in Campbell River. The public concern over the environmental impact of the expansion made me think about how much my own industry (wine) impacts the environment. Wine is not really an environmentally-friendly industry (check out Maggie Rosen’s article “Is Wine Bad for the Planet?” in the Decanter Magazine archive for some interesting statistics on the environmental impact of the wine industry), as can be surmised by the amount of containers floating out on the open oceans, filled with bottles of wine en-route to your nearest glass. It’s not the worst villain—certainly high-sulfur coal mining poses a bigger threat—but still, I began to wonder what wine estates are doing about their little contribution to a growing issue—namely environmental degradation.
 

  Naturally, as one does when faced with unanswered questions, I turned to the purveyor of all things informational: Google. A quick search revealed green is growing in the wine biz just as much as it is everywhere else. Quite a number of wine estates have taken the proverbial bull by the feed bag and instituted not only sustainable practices, but have gone so far as to implement initiatives that directly impact the environment in a beneficial way. I’m not referring to organics, or biodynamics here—I’m referring to technologies that are being used to decrease our negative effects on the planet. Decreasing our use of toxic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and increasing the quality of the ground soil and water through our agricultural practices is extremely important; but what I’ve been considering is how much energy wine consumes as it is being made, bottled, and shipped from the vineyard to the stores.
 

  California is one place where the wine industry is definitely moving towards reducing its impact on the environment. The first estate in the world to convert fully to solar power was EOS Estate Winery, in the heart of Paso Robles. Beringer Vineyards, Stag’s Leap, and Etude Winery also run solar arrays that help offset their energy needs; the combined effect of the solar panels from these three estates saves approximately 900 metric tons of carbon dioxide from being released each year. In addition, J.Lohr has an impressive 3 acres of photovoltaic panels that meets 75% of the winery’s electrical needs, keeping almost 1200 metric tons of CO2 out of the environment each year. All told, nearly 80 wineries in California utilize solar power to supplement or supply their power needs.
 

  Then there are estates like Honig and Anaba, who are harnessing wind power with quiet, compact cylinder turbines in their vineyards. Cylinder turbines rotate slower than the 30-metre tall propeller-driven turbines, making them safe for migrating birds, and are much quieter while still being an efficient power generator. Most of California’s turn towards alternative power came as part of the movement of California winemakers to become better stewards of the land during the late 80’s and early 90’s, as the population of the state boomed and suburbs began creeping into rural areas. Issues such as air and water pollution, soil erosion, and power usage became hot topics; grape growers and wine makers increasingly found themselves on the wrong side of the issues. Individually and collectively the wine estates began to educate themselves on sustainability and green practices, and have been moving towards green ever since. 
 

  Here in BC our pursuit of sustainability seems to lean more towards conservation of the land as opposed to reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. Many wine estates practice water conservation, habitat protection for endangered species, and organic and biodynamic viticulture, yet seemingly few estates have turned to alternative energy sources such as wind or solar power. Admittedly, I haven’t researched feasibility studies on whether solar or wind power could prove to be an effective energy source in the Okanagan or Similkameen valleys; there is the very real possibility they would not produce enough energy to be viable. There are, however, estates in BC that are improving their efficiency to become more sustainable: John and Virginia Weber built the buildings of Orofino Vineyards using straw bale construction due to its superior insulating qualities; Tinhorn Creek uses a special filtration technology to stabilize their whites, saving a great amount of energy by eliminating the bulk chilling of their wines. But BC’s move towards environmental sustainability seems more passive than active, more geared at improving the existing situation rather than actively changing the paradigm.

  The immediate question would be “Is this enough?” Are there steps we could be taking, not only as wine makers and consumers, but importers, agents, and retail stores, that would reduce our effects on the environment? I turn this topic out to the readers—what should the wine industry be doing to help cut down on the environmental impact this agricultural, and cultural item has on the planet? What should we, as consumers, be doing to ensure that our enjoyment of wine continues to reduce wine’s impact on the environment? And what can Everything Wine, as your chosen purveyors, be doing to help reduce the environmental impact that results from our collective love of wine?

Let me tell you a petite story about a wine with a name that was wrong for a hundred years until technology proved it apt. How little Durif, the moth-resistant child of Syrah and Peloursin, created by Françoise Durif in Montpellier, France, was brought to California in the 1880s and - poof! - became Petite Sirah.

I would like to have been there when someone said, ‘Dang, they look like syrah grapes, but smaller, let’s call ‘em Petite Syrah’.

But though it was small, it was fierce. Little Durif quickly embraced its new name – in all its many spellings – and made bold, tannic juice that added backbone to the less powerful Zinfandels and Cabernets in the times before “old vines” existed.

Then, after over a century of jug wine abuse, the true parentage of workhorse stepchild Petite Sirah was finally established by the queen of grape DNA, Dr. Carol Meredith of UC Davis, who said, “Dang, it was syrah after all.”

Petite Sirah remained a blender until the early 1960’s when the Concannan family gave it its own label. The Concannan is a lovely PS that I’ve raved about before and is a great one to start with.

But new Petites are coming north all the time. Two that I had never heard of before offer more dense, rustic satisfaction that I expect with their petite price tags.

What is it about cupcakes these days, with people acting like they were just invented? Seemingly bandwagoning on this pastry trend is Cupcake Vineyard on the Central Coast. If you like an inky Petite - the kind that turn your teeth blue - Cupcake's 2007 will make you taste pure blackness. The black, blue and purple fruit are intense, and notes of sweet oak, cedar, forest floor and spice add savory complexity. With ample breathing time, it's friendly to most comfort foods.

Powder Keg 2007 Petite Sirah is labeled “California” but most of the PS grapes probably come from Lodi, which is a perfect place for them. Long legged and opaque in the glass, this wine is very pillowy in the mouth, like chocolate cake exploding on the mid palate with blackberry toffee syrup washing it down. Oh, and that cake was laced with toffee, espresso, cinnamon and oak. Chewy and muscular, with enough acidity to stand up to tomato sauce, Powder Keg Petite is a blast.

…And little Petite Sirah lived happily ever after.
 

Did you know that Mother’s Day was started as a passivist reaction to the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War? Or that “Mother’s Day” was trademarked in 1912 by Anna Jarvis, who later blew her inheritance campaigning against its commercialization, and died broke.

Maybe Ms Jarvis should have just enjoyed a glass of wine and chilled out, because there’s nothing on earth stopping this holiday.

By the way, have you called your mother yet?

If your mom enjoys wine, there is nothing more satisfying than giving her a bottle of something you know she’s going to love. Don’t tell her how much you spent because, in her mind, anything will have cost too much. 

Depending on her age, moms can be super sensitive to alcohol levels. My 86-year old mom likes her wine, but more than half a glass makes her “so sleepy.” So, if you want the old girl to stay awake over brunch give her something with under 10% alcohol. A good German Riesling Kabinett will often do, but for a sure-fire refresher, I’d pick a Vinho Verde. They’re crisp, refreshing, quaffable and affordable. What’s a mom not to like?

Vinho Verde is a green wine from Portugal fermented slightly short to allow residual yeast to add a bit of effervescence, which is always festive. The alcohol stays low, 9 - 11%, truly a lite wine.

The JM Fonseca 2008 Twin Vines Vinho Verde is made for sitting under an umbrella on a sunny patio, noshing on fresh fruit and veggies. Unlike many VVs, this one is quite dry on the palate and feels rather like a spiked pellagrino water with lime. The citric fruit is delicate yet fresh, and leaves a clean finish of lip-smaking acidy and a touch of minerality. Great for food grazing.

I’ve got more suggestions at Think Green With Vinho Verde

If mom goes for the sweet wines, give her a nice gewürtztraminer and she’ll be smiling.

All week, I’ve been drinking the Longbush 2007 Gewürztraminer from New Zealand with trout almandine, stir-fry and pizza, and it seems to go with everything I eat. The deep golden color alone is inspiring, and smells of honey, nuts and apricots and other things Ms Jarvis might’ve had for tea a hundred years ago. The mouth is rich and creamy, with spicy mango, apricot, orange flavours, but then, on the sweet finish, there is a lilting acidity that your mom should find most amusing, indeed.

Happy day to Ginny Kane and cheers to all the world’s moms!
 

The first time I heard of Argentine malbec was in 1997 from the mouth of an Austrian house guest who insisted that all the Sonoma and Napa wines we poured for him were very good, “But not as good as my Argentine malbec.” Apart from thinking him rude for dissing our local juice, I also wondered what he was on to about this little-known blending grape. Sure enough, at the dawn of the 21st Century, malbecs from Argentina started crashing the shores of North America like a tsunami and I understood what Austrians had known for years: Argentine wines are excellent as well as affordable.

Flash forward a decade, and I’m strolling through the 2010 Playhouse Wine Festival where it’s Argentina on parade. Regional names like “Mendoza”, “Patagonia”, “Cayfayate” and “Salta” roll off tongues like inky drool, and the go-to keyword is “altitude.” Everyone knows what torrontes is – “gewürtztraminer on steroids,” as one woman put it – and even the dolcetto-like bonarda is popular.

So, eschewing the merely affordable, I went for the truly excellent thinking, what’s new, Buenos Aires?

From southerly Patagonia, Familia Schroeder’s Saurus wines are named for dinosaur graves in their vineyards. Federico Boxaca poured the Saurus 2007 Pinot for me and its ripe fruit aromas jumped from the glass. The mouth is lush, full of black and red fruit, finishing with a tangy, acidic nip. The 2006 Pinot was even richer in body, and a sweet touch of vanilla betrayed more oak - new barrels, he said, used again on the 2007 vintage. Their Patagonia Select Malbec 2007 is chewy, and elegant with a bit of acidity, and exudes ripe black berries, currants and fruits that go squish in the night.

At the Bodega Catena Zapata table, their 2006 Alta Malbec gave me a delightful whiff of briary blackberries, – so much like a zinfandel it reminded me to stop by the Ravenswood table  – followed by a deep, earthy mouthful of layered fruit, as smooth as it was wild. 

Then, a pour of their 2006 Nicholas Cabernet/Malbec made me stop and appreciate what seamless integration tastes like. Its flavours of blackness and spice and earth and chocolate are all woven so beautifully they become one silky, opulent whole. Definitely a thing to lie down for a while and drink on a special occasion.

I could go on, but Nicholas is a hard wine to follow. 

Suffice it to say that after getting past the affordability point, Argentine wines would be surprisingly good for you.

While the Playhouse Wine Festival is an exciting week of wine theater, it’s not exactly a walk on the red carpet. Except when you bump into actor Sam Neill swirling wine and posing for pictures. After shooting a few myself, I asked Reilly: Ace of Spies how he was enjoying the wine business. He roared, “It’s hell,” before adding, “Now, what can I pour you?”

Neill’s winery, Two Paddocks, is located in the Central Otago region of New Zealand, where he grew up. His 2008 Central Otago Pinot is very cherry, with forward candied fruit, savory herb and sprinkles of spice and black tea on a plush, stewy mouthfeel. I decided this pinot would pair harmoniously with the film, The Piano.

From there, New Zealand pinot noir became my project for the day. I’ve been watching these reds for years, waiting for them to grow up and develop some complexity, and here they are, all ripe and delectable and infinitely food friendly.

The Allan Scott 2007 Marlborough reminded me of a Russian River pinot with its notes of black pepper, hot dust, sweet oak, fat, juicy cherries and fine structure.

Mainstay producer, Kim Crawford’s 2008 Marlborough had an alluringly smoky aroma, with baked red fruit and bits of tobacco and savory herbs.

The Matua 2008 Central Otago Estate Pinot displays orange fruit in a perfumy nose with lots of forward red fruit and great acidity in a medium body palate.

Oyster Bay 2008 Marlborough is a fresh, clean pinot with bright cherries, cranberries and raspberries shouting out from a sharp-edged mouth.

Spy Valley’s 2008 Marlborough is one of the earthiest pinots I tasted, with a spicy, cedary nose, and chunks of wood and soil swirling around ripe, red fruit on the palate.

The Stoneleigh 2008 Marlborough is not the most complex pinot on the block, but with its forward cherry fruit and bright acidity, it represents one of the best deals in New Zealand pinots.

Once again, Staete Landt beats all with its elegant 2008 Marlborough, a deeply layered and focused pinot full of ripe cherry and strawberry in a soft mouth with a clean, zingy finish.

Waitiri Creek’s 2008 Drummer impressed as well with its super ripe - almost raisiny - black cherry fruit, sweet tannins, a rich, viscous mouthfeel and a tangy finish.

With pinots as good as these, I didn’t taste a sauvignon blanc all afternoon.

Tomorrow night, I’ll hit the tasting floor again and will be back next week talking about all things Argentine.

Till then, go Canucks!