Tagged with 'Everything Wine BC'

Hi Everyone!

 

With Santa’s Dandruff still sprinkled all across this chilly land, it’s time to discuss the new bonkers vintage of the wine world’s best internal Firestarter: Port. When sipped slowly, great Port warms the heart and curls smiles further upwards. When consumed with abandon, Port’s proven magical powers include:

 

1) Not caring if it’s cold out

2) Not caring that you don’t have a jacket on

3) Ability to create better words

 

Now, these newly-released Ports from the instantly-classic 2016 vintage certainly aren’t for chugging, in fact they’re not really ready for sipping yet. These are the seeds of future awesomes, brilliantly dense fortified wines to anchor your cellar (or fridge); 2016 is the best declared Port vintage since 2011, and perhaps since 1994, but only time will tell. To the juice:

 

2016 VINTAGE PORTS:

 

Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 2016. The flagship of the Guimaraens fleet. If David’s wines were the Justice League, Taylor Fladgate would undoubtedly be Superman. Boasting a body that could repel bullets, the muscle and power contained underneath the black-fruited licorice defies science, although it’ll be about a decade before we on earth can understand its language. Plus it can see through walls and it knows if you're lying. 100 points James Suckling, 98 points Wine Spectator, #23 Top 100 of 2018 (Wine Spectator), 98 points Wine Enthusiast. 6 full-size bottles available at $145.99 +tax, 12 half-size (375ml) bottles available at $77.99 +tax

 

Dow’s Vintage Port 2016. Always the picture of elegance, this is Dow’s first declared vintage since winning Wine Of The Year (Wine Spectator) for their 2011 Vintage Port. Soft floral notes surround the expected dark fruits, and the slight minerality peeks out just before the welcome acidic lift on the finish. That brightness ties a bow on everything and holds the key to Dow’s longevity, the house style is a shade drier than most. 98 points Wine Spectator, 98 points Decanter, 5 bottles available, $120.99 +tax

 

Warre’s Vintage Port 2016. Every player has their card to play, and for Warre’s, the oldest British Port house, that card is Touriga Franca, the indigenous Portuguese grape variety that takes centre stage in this rustic field blend. Violets, chocolate and bramble lead to endless silken layers in the mouth and a juicy finish of anise and roses. 98 points Wine Spectator, #14 Top 100 of 2018 (Wine Spectator), 98 points Decanter, 5 bottles available, $108.99 +tax

 

OTHER PORTS:

 

Taylor Fladgate Single Harvest Tawny 1968. In arcane Portuguese terms, this is a Colheita (Col-hee-YIGH-tah), meaning that it’s a Tawny Port (different from the ruby Vintage Ports) from a single vintage, which is rare, as most Tawny Ports consist of many vintages blended together to an average age (10, 20, 30 etc.). This 1968 drinks like a sext, with caramel figs amongst the almonds and butterscotch. Give it a chill in the fridge for a half hour for maximum yesness. 98 points Wine Spectator, 3 bottles (each in its own wooden box) available, $279.99 +tax

 

Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 1994. This pillar of modern architecture has been described on these pages before, but I thought some of you may want an example of what the 2016 will be like in its window of glory. Still youthful, still racy, the tannins are well integrated and the fruit is finally starting to come into focus. Tastes like genius. 100 points Wine Spectator, 6 bottles available, $359.99 +tax

 

Stay safe, stay warm, and Happy Drinking!!

Let’s raise a glass to ninety-eight,
For wine, that score is pretty great!
It’s two points from immaculate!
(does that not make sense? well, too late)

I doubt that you could ever hate
A wine with points of ninety-eight!
With Christmas coming, let’s go straight
to two wines you’ll want by the crate:

TeHo Malbec 2014, Mendoza, Argentina. A gloriously Old World Malbec from the New World, this drinks like a Cahors stirred with a lightsaber. Meaning “Blood of the Earth” in the local indigenous tongue, TeHo is sourced from a non-grafted Uco Valley vineyard called Tomal, planted in 1955, and the 90% Malbec is co-fermented with 10% of… well, everything: Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and, if the beautifully mineral finish is any indication, a bunch of rocks. Pulls off the rare trick of intense concentration without the accompanying baby fat; red cherries, violets and spice surround the nose, the medium-full body and mineral finish are lifted by a beautiful acidity that’s more Médoc than Mendoza. Stretches the boundaries of what “Mendoza” means, Malbec-lovers and Francophiles alike can find a lot to trip out on, here, this is fabulous and layered. Exclusive to this store. Currently gorgeous but has the structural fortitude to cellar like a Jedi, and can do many push-ups:
98 points Tim Atkins
Red Wine of the Year (2017) Tim Atkins
Top 20 Wines of 2017, Decanter
Top 100 Wines of 2017, Wine and Spirits
5 6-packs available, $75.99 +tax
Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 2 2012, Yarra Valley, Australia. Last year’s Australian Winemaker of the Year Sarah Crowe returns with another whizz-bang Shiraz from the cool(er) climate of Yarra Valley, near Melbourne. Hard to describe Yarra wines except by discounting what they aren’t: they don’t have the confected fruit compote of McLaren Vale, they don’t have the black pepper of Barossa, nor are they as light footed as Norther Rhône Syrahs or rigidly structured like Margaret River wines. What they do have is a friendly, comfort-food exterior that can somewhat belie enormous reservoirs of thermo-nuclear inner strength.  Often called an “iron fist in a velvet glove”, Dry Red No 2 is teeming with white pepper, red Nibs and baking chocolate, the body is plenty full but can still do pull-ups, the finish – and it’s famous for this – peers into the portal to forever. Outstanding vintage for a wine notorious for its vintage variation. 98 points James Halliday, 4 6-packs available, $92.49 +tax

Until next time, Happy Drinking!

Hi Everyone!

I am, as you are all aware, never ever prone to hyperbole, strange allegory or even sarcasm, but I do believe I’ve found the Wine That Saved Christmas.

Deep in the hills of Piedmont, Barbera has always played Robin to Nebbiolo’s Batman, relegated to the slopes deemed unworthy of its nobler half-brother. Indeed, there’s Barbera planted all over the hills of Barolo and Barbaresco, but a wine made from that grape in those villages can never be called by those village names for the same reason Jon Snow could never be a Stark. In many iterations Barbera owns that sidecar, when grown as an afterthought it can be jammy and juicy, shallow and weak, not something you’d age or talk about, except for…

The hills of Nizza Monferrato in Asti (a UNESCO site) are the upside-down kingdom where Barbera rules the world and makes bold, legendary wines. Here, Barbera gets the best vineyards, like Tenuta Aluffi in the south that lays on deep sand and gives concentrated fruit in minuscule quantities. In the middle of that estate sits the world’s best Cru for Barbera, producing wines that match or surpass the arc, intensity and frame of many Barolos: La Court.

Michele Chiarlo’s 2015 La Court Barbera Riserva is fireworks in a bottle, Barbera’s natural zing is tempered by fruit weight and the silky layers that years in spicy Slovenian casks can bring. Black cherries, violets and dark chocolate on the nose, a full, dense body in the mouth but the finish is weightless, electric and persistent. This can go a decade standing on its head but is in glorious balance now, an assertion you can confirm when we open it on Saturday at 3pm in the River District Vintage Room.

How does this wine “Save Christmas”? Two reasons: First, I was exaggerating. Second, La Court has the perfect mix of attributes to roll with the culinary punches that the Holiday season can throw. It’s bold and full without being heavy or lugubrious, it can duet with appies, steaks, chestnuts, cheeses, fondues and even those little quiches that have no legitimate reason to exist. It has the structure to handle proteins but not enough to drink all fuzzy without them. It has the acidity to match most foods but not so much that food is necessary: it pairs with itself nicely. It has a great rating (for those guests who clandestinely Vivino your wine while you’re preoccupied – you know who they are) without the price tag to match. Having La Court on hand is like dating a party planner: you are ready for anything.

I shoulda bought more of it.

Michele Chiarlo "La Court" Nizza Riserva DOCG 2015. 95 points Wine Enthusiast, 10 6-packs available, $64.99 +tax

Back in a couple days with brand new, exclusive Oregon Pinots!! Until then,

Happy Drinking!!

Hi Everyone!

Every time I go to Oregon I get real happy then I get real mad. Happy because I try so many outstanding Pinots and I really enjoy smiling. Mad because I have no access to a lot of these wines, as retailers can’t import into BC and no import agencies would bother with such small productions. We’ve slowly been changing that, working with smaller importers (and my South Surrey colleague Si Man Lee), and now I’m proud to offer some of the best wines that we tried down there, albeit in super small quantities. These wines are brand new to BC. Here’s the first batch:

Lingua Franca “Tongue ‘N Cheek” Pinot Noir 2015, Eola-Amity Hills. The buzz was already deafening – as can be expected when a Supergroup comprised of legendary Master Sommelier Larry Stone, Burgundy titan Dominique Lafon and David Honig starts a winery – and then their wine was prominently featured in the upcoming Somm 3 movie. Yikes. Working with vineyard manager Mimi Casteel – one of the most inspirational people I met down there – in one of Oregon’s oldest vineyards, Lingua Franca have positioned themselves as the new Winery Of Note in the Willamette – I've been calling them the next Beaux Freres. Boasting floral red and dark black fruit with a mules kick of smoke and spice, the body is big and round, the finish has just enough lift to remind you that – big as it is – it’s still Oregon. Gorgeous and smooth. 94 points Wine Spectator, 94 points Decanter, 2 6-packs available, $101.99 +tax

Domaine Serene “R” Pinot Noir Rosé, Dundee Hills. You didn’t know you needed a $60 dual-vintaged Pinot Rosé, but in all fairness you didn’t know you needed an iPad until it showed up. Same here. Using the moody, complex Bandol Rosés as their North Star, Ken and Grace Evenstad have thrown out the rule book and made a racy pink beast out of some 2016 Pinot with a splash of 2015 Chardonnay. Bold in front, creamy in the middle and crispy on the finish, smells like a strawberry-rhubarb miracle, see for yourself when we pour it this Saturday at 3pm in the River District Vintage Room. Not at all attempting the pastel popularity of Provence or the saccharine indulgences of a California Blush, “R” is the inscrutably cool kid in the back listening to The Cure that you’re afraid to say hi to. You should say hi, though, because this’ll go amazing with turkey, ham, pork, duck or really any holiday dinner unless your dinners consist entirely of cake. Exclusive to Everything Wine. 2 cases available, $60.99 +tax

Brittan Vineyards Basalt Block Pinot Noir 2014, McMinnville. I had the great pleasure of sitting for dinner with Robert Brittan, the long-time winemaker at Napa’s Stag’s Leap Winery who left 14 years ago to make wine in Oregon. We talked for hours about the politics behind Oregon’s AVAs (hey, I don’t judge what you do for fun) and he educated me on the McMinnville AVA, which we rarely see in BC. The McMinnville juice is so intense that it’s rarely blended with other AVAs in Willamette Pinot Noirs, it takes over the entire profile even in small percentages. The 2014 Pinot from this windy vineyard in the Coast Range foothills lives up to the area’s notoriety, it is a deep, brooding, herbal Pinot with Asian spice and black cherry – great fruit symmetry – and an austere tannin structure (like black tea) akin to a red Sancerre. Too serious for these silly years, I’d like to drink this after the next Winter Olympics. 94 points James Suckling, 1 case available, $89.49 +tax

Nicolas Jay Pinot Noir 2015, Willamette Valley. When Burgundian winemakers produce Oregon Pinots we expect them to make Burgundy, as if they brought all their dirt and climate with them in a magic bag, and we’re always so surprised when the Pinots they make are fruit-driven and clean. Perhaps that’s why this start-up winery downplays the fact that its co-founder and winemaker is none other than Jean-Nicolas Meo of Domaine Meo-Camuzet, a Côte d’Or winemaking family that dates back to the 1600s. This Willamette Pinot uses every AVA in that valley, fruit from such famous crus as Momtazi and Nysa contribute to the blend. Gosh this is pretty. Violet, raspberries, jasmine tea and crushed rocks, the one-third new oak adds some wood tannin to the finish but this Pinot is good to go, supple and delicious. 94 points James Suckling, 2 6-packs available, $105.49 +tax

Back next week with even more Oregon Pinots! Until then,

Happy Drinking!

The holidays are just around the corner, and with the holidays comes dinner parties, gifts and a whole lot of small talk. If you're looking for a bottle to impress a new boss, the in-laws or just a fantastic and tasty treat to share with family and friends, our Vintage Room Expert Quinot has the perfect bottles for you!

Looking for a bottle that's smooth on the inside and outside? Look no further than the Raymond Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2015! Rated 95 points by Decanter World Wine Awards, this bottle is sure to impress during the holidays!

Watch the video to find out why he recommends this stunning bottle or read the transcript below!

Hi, my name is Quinot and I am the Vintage Room Consultant at Everything Wine Langley, today we are going to feature a fantastic holiday pick from Napa Valley, The 2015 Raymond Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This is made by the Philippe Marcus team, who is one of the best winemakers in the world and is helping the winemaking team at Raymond with this exclusive Cabernet Sauvignon! it's a beautiful bottle with a velvet label so it's smooth on the inside and outside! This wine will go really well with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and even a charcuterie board!
Thanks so much for watching, I hope to see you in our Vintage Room in the near future!
Find the bottle here. 

If white wine is more your vino of choice for the holidays, we have a fantastic choice from Secret Indulgence! It's a 92-point Chardonnay that goes great with holiday fare! Learn more about this wine by watching this video, or check out the full transcript below!

Hi, my name is Quinot and I'm the Vintage Room Consultant at Everything Wine Langley. Today I'm going to be talking about a fantastic holiday wine, the 2015 Chardonnay by Evoluna. This featured 2015 Evoluna by Secret Indulgence is a fantastic Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast in St Helena. This wine has notes of pear and dried apricot and vanilla bean. This fantastic Chardonnay is perfect for the holidays, and pairs with classic holiday favoutires like turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, fish with lemon sauce, or a simple popcorn and a movie! Thanks for watching today, our Vintage Rooms have many wines just like this for the holidays and you can find this in all our Vintage Rooms. This one is $59.99 and 92 points!

Find the bottle here.

Hi Everyone!

I’m back home after a whirlwind tour of Italy with my mother and brother; we went to Montalcino, San Gimignano, Panzano in Chianti, Florence and Rome, eating and drinking the whole way. It was resplendent in many shades of awesome. I’ll have some tales to tell down the road, but today I’m writing about an amazing wine from a Tuscan village I didn’t quite make it to on this trip: Montepulciano.

I have to stop referring to specific small Tuscan villages as “walled, hilltop towns” as if that’s a distinguishing characteristic. They all are.  After spending a week in the Tuscan countryside, I can testify that I never spent any time in a valley, either driving or visiting, because the towns and roads are all in the hills. If you told me that Tuscan vampires came out at night but only in the valleys, I’d believe you because everything is built to avoid those vampires.

That said, Montepulciano is a walled hilltop town, surrounded by vineyards that grow a particular clone of Sangiovese called Prugnolo Gentile (there is a Southern Italian grape that’s actually called “Montepulciano” but it’s confusingly never grown in Montepulciano – I had a dream where I brought the grape to the town and created a wormhole). In contrast to Brunello’s Sangiovese Grosso and Chianti’s Sangiovese Piccolo, Prugnolo Gentile (meaning “plummy and soft”, kinda) is richer and generally less acidic, and the building block for one of Italy’s great wines: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Nobiles often nose like Chianti Classicos but drink like Brunellos, large and long-lived, but their lesser lore makes them far more affordable for wine drinkers, especially compared to Brunellos.

Although Carpineto has been quietly producing wines from all over Tuscany for over 50 years, it’s their Vino Nobiles that have always captured my attention – structured like linebackers but still graceful and gorgeous, and the stars aligned for this amazing 2013 Riserva. Simply put, it’s the best points-to-price ratio I’ve seen in years. If this wine doesn’t place highly on the WS Top 100 this year…  I’ll be wrong.

Behold this handsome beast: richly layered and tightly strung with black fruits and slow, deliberate deployment, some mineral notes. Drinks like twice the price, lovely mix of masculine and feminine on the nose with violet and cedar, the tannins are firm but don’t poke out past the ample body. Aged a year longer than the DOCG requires, drinking now but could go a decade standing on its head. Whatever you buy of this, you’ll wish you bought more (I do). If there’s any left by Saturday we’ll pour it at 3pm in the River District Vintage Room.

Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2013. 95 points Wine Spectator, 15 6-packs available, $40.49 +tax

Start your engines, and Happy Drinking!

Our Vintage Room Expert picks continue with our Victoria Vintage Room Expert, Nick Blewett! Read the full transcript of the video below, or check out the video on our YouTube channel!

You can find Nick's pick here. 



Hello everyone!

I'm Nick, Vintage Room Expert from Everything Wine in Victoria. I'd like to talk to you today about a 91-point wine from Secret Indulgence in St. Helena, California! It's a 2015 American Vintage red blend. It contains 65% Zinfandel and 35% Petite Syrah, most of which is sourced from Sonoma County, but some as well from Livermore in the central coast.

The body is big and dark and bold with dark flavours black cherry, blackberry, as well as some spices and mineral notes. Both Jeb Dunnuck as well as Robert Parker's Wine Advocate have scored this bottle 91 points! I would pair this with smoky BBQ ribs or a nice rib-eye steak!

Time to learn more about the world-famous wine region, Bordeaux! We sat down with our South Surrey store manager, Rob Carras to learn more about this varietal, its flavours, the region, and of course what foods it pairs best with! You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel or read the full transcript below!



Hi everyone, my name is Rob Carras and I'm the store manager at Everything Wine in South Surrey. Today I'm going to tell you about the World-famous wine region, Bordeaux!

Region and Flavour Profiles
Red Bordeaux wines are often medium to full-bodied, with notes of black currant, cherry, plum and cedar. The vintage and the region will have a lot of factor into the quality of the wine. On the left-bank, you'll get wines with more structure, more age-worthiness whereas the right-bank, more plummy, plushy fruit, and more approachable in their youth.

Varietals in a Bordeaux blend
Typical varietals you'll find in Bordeaux are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, a little bit of Petite Verdot and a little bit of Malbec. Actually, the first Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines originated in Bordeaux, France.

Food Pairing
Now to my favourite part, the food and wine pairing! Red Bordeaux goes really well with pot roast, black pepper steak - the tannins in the wine really cut through the fat in the meat and the flavours are definitely complimented by that black pepper on the steak. If you're vegetarian try it with roast potatoes or a green bean casserole!

Price
Here at Everything Wine, we have Bordeaux in every price range. We have lots of option under $20, much more approachable and everyday drinkers, all the way up to the most sought-after wines in the world, up to $8,500 per bottle!

Interested in try a Bordeaux wine for yourself? Be sure to check out our Bordeaux release, happening September 21st!

As we begin to anticipate the season change to fall, there are two types of people: those who continue to shiver in their shorts as they walk on the fallen leaves and those who greet the Autumn season with big scarves, and pumpkin-spiced everything. No matter if you're in Fall-denial or Fall-acceptance, one thing we can all agree on is a new season calls for new wines! Here is our guide to the best varietals to sip on this fall season.

1. Beaujolais
   This is a light red wine made with Gamay noir grapes. It offers a wide range of flavours from raspberry, tart cherries, and cranberries to earthy flavours of mushroom and forest floor.  is located in the south of the famous wine region of Burgundy. What makes it so great for Fall? It is a great transition wine between seasons as it is light with great amounts of acidity and offers flavours that compliment roast turkey (or tofurkey).


2. Oaked Chardonnay
    Don't worry white wine fans, we didn't forget about you. Although Fall tends to be associated with big, rich reds, there are also many white varietals that are Fall-friendly. One of our top picks is an oaked Chardonnay. Chardonnay is the most diverse and planted white wine grape in the world. Because of this, its flavours differ from region to region. An un-oaked Chardonnay will have brighter flavours ranging from lemon to pineapple, whereas oaked-Chardonnays tend to be richer, with notes of vanilla and spice (don't these flavours just scream fall?). Because of its full-bodied sweet texture, we'd recommend an oaked Chardonnay!


3. Syrah
   If you’re someone looking to dive into Fall wines head first with some full-bodied gems, try a Syrah! From tart and jammy notes of blackberry, and blueberries to earthy forest aromas of herbs and smoke, Syrah wines offer a full punch of flavour from the first sip with a spicy after-taste following. Syrah is one of the key grape varieties in France's Rhône Valley and the Barossa Valley in Australia (where it is called Shiraz). Why should this be your go-to Fall wine? The flavour profile basically is Fall in a glass, mimicking aromas of fallen leaves and sweet pie. The warming aromas also go fantastically with the crisp weather outside!


4. Grenache
   Nothing says Fall quite like the smell of sweet cinnamon, which is what you'll find in our next fantastic Fall varietal: Grenache! This varietal is plated widely in the Rhône Valley region, and can be found in many blends from the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape! It's also grown in Spain and called Garnacha! Other flavours and aromas you'll find in this wine are strawberries, black cherry, and citrus rind. Try this varietal with another Fall favourite, roasted root vegetables!

Have a go-to Fall varietal we didn't list? Let us know in the comments below what wines you enjoy sipping during the Fall season!

There isn’t a corner of this province unaffected by this summer’s wildfires, but as bad as the air quality has been in Metro Vancouver, the interior of B.C. has had it far worse, and our wine growing regions (Okanagan, Similkameen) have been hit especially hard. While I haven’t heard news of any vineyards burning, the smoke has been acute enough to keep wine lovers away, and I’ve heard estimates from friends up there that business is down as much as 80% in some wineries.

It looks like we coasties will get at least a temporary reprieve from the smoke this weekend, but that’s only because maritime winds are pushing it back into the interior, and although I hear you can now see the other side of the lake from Naramata, the upcoming Labour Day weekend – usually a key wine holiday – may end up a wash this year. Remember when Alberta was going to ban BC wine and all of us were going to band together and drink up the slack? This is more dire. The BC wine industry needs our help: if we’re not gonna go drink it up there, we in Metro Van gotta drink it down here.

With that in mind, I’d like to recommend a few faves; wines to drink over the next couple of weeks while we wait for cooler (and wetter) skies to prevail.

Kettle Valley Gewurztraminer 2016, Naramata. Pretty pretty pretty, then kapow. A generous, ornate nose of lychee and honeyed flowers precede a 2-plane-seat body and a gingery finish with a whiff of glorious booze. Alsace is clearly the inspiration but this is lighter on its feet and cleaner, the hedonism is all on the front end. This wine hopes you order spring rolls. $20.49 +tax

Desert Hills Gamay 2017, Black Sage Bench. A spicy firecracker of red fruit and insolence. Wee snaps of vanilla and ash surround the nose, but the fruit is the story here and the fruit came to party. Black pepper on the finish, paired with enough acidity to balance the weight but not enough to make the cool kids sit at your table. Will barbeque the chicken for you. $29.99 +tax

Black Hills Tempranillo 2016, Black Sage Bench. It may come as a surprise to many, but the cult winery Black Hills does, in fact, make wines that aren’t Nota Bene. Tempranillo isn’t widely planted outside of Spain and almost never planted in B.C., which is a shame because this fab: a bright, ultra-present body of cherries and red apple, interwoven with a nose of roses, cinnamon and fine black pepper. A long hot finish and fine tannins – made for espelette-rubbed pork or chicken. $56.99 +tax. Be sure to stop by our South Vancouver location on Saturday, September 1st at 3pm to taste this BC gem!