New Camera Coming Soon

Just bought a Nikon D60 off of Ebay so by the next event I will have pictures worth looking at haha. Well Atleast cleaner, for now I can say the pictures I have were meant to be taken like that

~

Zinfandel!

Zinfandel oh a wine with so much sugary syrupy goodness that it just doesn't seem right yet you just want to drink it down. Like Eating Dessert before dinner.

Zinfandel Barefoot Vineyard, there is no date on the bottle I assume its a blend of vintages friend had a magnum (cuz it was cheap 14$ for it Canadian) He had it opened for 5 days on his counter and the wine was still good, Must of been all the sugar in it preserving it like a Port or Sherry hah.

Colour: Had the Colour of a Dark Dark Purple Juice / Syrup
Aroma: Didn't pick up anything! I dont think my nose was working this day as the other Zin had nothing either.

Taste: Pure Blackberry Syrup! I mean I was looking for a wine that tasted like blackberry's I read all these notes about so and so having it. I know what blackberrys taste like I grew up picking them with my mom. This was like SUPER SUPER ripe blackberry then turned into a Syrup you would find at Ihop except not fake hah. very sugary.

14% Alc I think
From Lodi California

Butterfly Ridge Zin. 2005 [From my wine club cellar]

Colour: Completly different then the other had a hue of red instead of purple and way lighter in Colour
Aroma: Sweetness, Heat
Taste: Red Fruit, thick, from the look you wouldn't think it was that thick. The Red fruit was good type of tart but sweet can't remember the rest I took note too sheesh
Alc 13.8%
Amador County

Fetzer Wine Competition 2009- Great Beginnings

Fetzer Wine Competion 2009

This event is a really good event for two reason, it promotes your restaurant with feeding of a couple hundred? people, and that we get free booze.

It happens during the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival here in Beautiful British Columbia. There are like a 100 events spread over like 3 or so days. With trade tasting and everything.

(*Image - Waiting at the Loading Dock of Fairmont Hotel)

Fetzer sponsors this event with wine pairing being the goal. Ten Restaurants 2 prizes. 1st Place Judge and 1st Place peoples choice. If you win the judging prize it is a write up in Wine Access Magazine, and 1500$ Travel voucher, so it definitely gets you motivated. So what we decided to do at the restaurant was to pair with the 2008 Gewurztraminer a Confit Duck [folded in with Duck Fat, Pomegrante Reduction which had Cinnamon, Cardamon, Fennel, Star Anise, Bay Leaf, Black Pepper and some other stuff] Wrapped with Duck Proscuitto, Goat Gouda Tart, Basil Citron Vinegrette with Baby Greens.

It was a great event, I didn't win but had lots of people love the food.

I have more images but I am waiting on trying to get some from the Hired Photographer, my camera doesn't do low lightning very well I need to buy me a new camera. so hopfully I can get them up in a week or so.

Double Champagne Night

So one of my cooks at work entered this competition contest for the Provence, I told him if he won I would buy him a magnum of champagne. He Won I bought him a bottle of Alain Vesselle Cuvee St Eloi Brut A Bouzy - Grand Cru and then he said if he won he would buy a bottle of Dom Perignon, he ended up buy the 1995 Dom off our Wine list at work.

So To start we had the Alain Vesselle Cuvee St Eloi Brut A Bouzy - Grand Cru, has that Atypical Champagne nose of Cream Cheese Tartness, that Yeastiness. then the Taste was Green Apple (Malic Acid) Tartness lots and lots of acidity definitely not sweet. The Manager at the wine store I bought it said it was a light champagne and easy food pairing and one to start the night with, definitely was that tons of acidity.

1995 Dom Perignon (55% Chard, 45% Pinot Noir)
Aroma of a Nutty, Nutty Oil very strong, yeasty champagne atypical I pick up but this Nuttiness was so uniqiue and different kinda of cool
Taste of Pure Fruit, but so Balance so Light yet not boring we had a bottle (750ml) between like 9 people.


Champagne is Just so Cool.

Rhone Gang Tasting Part 2 (Red)

Part 2

Went to a Rhone Gang tasting event put on by Free House Wine and Spirits here in Vancouver, and tried a lot of Rhone Wines, lots of Viognier, Grenache, Syrahs. The wine makers were here as well pouring and talking about their wine which is really cool, If you ever get a chance to get to a tasting or event and the wine maker is there definitely go its worth it and its super fun.

Rodolphe de Pins of Chateau de Montfaucon
Louis Barruol of Chateau de St Cosme
Frederic Chaudiere of Chateau Pesquie

Rhone Reds defintitly have a Distictive Rhone Character, how to explain that I have no idea I am not that experienced. Yet.

Lets Start with Chateau Montfaucon

2006 'Comtesse Madeleine' Cotes du Rhone Rouge: A Young wine needs more time in the bottle to just settle down a TON of acidity bouncing in there like an energetic child.

1998 Cotes du Rhone: This is like Smooth Strawberry Juice going down, with a touch of acidity not a lot left but just enough, this wine just shows that a bottom level wine can age and gets better everything just mellows and becomes Delicious

2005 'Baron Louis' Cotes du Rhone: Violet Colour Taste of red fruit with acidity on the palate still a baby not as Energtic as the Comtesse Madeleine

2000 'Baron Louis': Aroma of Nutty Sherry very pleasant, with Cherry Juice, very Smooth very nice Very Delicious

2007 Monsineur Le Baron: Before I get into the notes this wine is made "Old Skool" way of basically just taking all the grapes in the vineyard (whatever variety they maybe) Putting them in a fermenting vat, and letting to their thing together with natural yeast. This wine has 15 Varietals Rhone, Including Viognier, Oban, Tempranillo[30year old vines in Rhone Madness I know]. Violet in Colour not Super Dark remember there is white wine in here maybe 5-10%. On the nose you do pick up the Syrah, the Cinnamon Bun nose I like to call it has that sweetness, and on the mouth its gentle and nice I mean its a 2007 and drinking very nicely.

Chateau Pesquie

2006 'Les Terrasses' Rouge: 70% Grenache 30% Syrah Taste of Apples and Very Dry Its wierd its a red wine and tsate like apples but Hey I calls them how I tastes them

2005 'La Quintessesce' Rouge: 80% Syrah 20% Grenache Dryer then the Les Terrasses and Bigger fills the mouth very nicely you can almost feel the difference that the ration of More syrah does but its not Syrah as a typical Warm Rhone, these are grown in southern Rhone but on a Mountain I think he said Elevation was 500ft atleast.

2006 'Artemia' Rouge: 50% 80year old Grenache, 50% 50year old Syrah. Aroma of Petrol [Nail Polish Variety] very mild tho] and this was with it not be decanted when I had it decanted it was different but I was basically drinking this becuase I felt this was the best wine here and was drinking and not taking notes. Taste of Red Fruit, Cherry Acidtiy very High, thought this should go with food very well, went and grabbed some blue cheese, creamy brie like cheese and both went extremly well.

Chateau Saint Cosme:

2007 Cotes du Rhone Rouge: 100% Syrah Aroma of Game and Grill Brick [A grill brick is what you use to clean your flattop in a restaurant it has a distictive smell almsot like a smelly beach]

2007 Gigondas: Taste of red fruit sweet and ripe, good acidity

2006 Gigondas Valbelle: 90% Grenache (sorry no notes)

2007 Gigondas Les Claux: 100% Grenache Taste of Sweet Black Tea was pleasant for sure

2006 Saint Joseph: Aroma of grill brick[see above] and strawberry taste of Fruit, nice Tannin Structure but almost smooth

2005 Chateauneuf-de-Pape: 50% Mourvedre Dry Tannins not a lot of fruit on the palate IMO this is a baby and should decant for along time or come back in a couple of years defintily high quality wine tho

2007 Cote Rotie: Aroma of Coffee[hint] syrup, green olives! Taste of Red Currant, red berries very red in the flavour profile in a good way a niec tartness with low aciity


The Rhone Gang

2007 Hold Up: 70% Pinot Noir 30% Grenache Taste and Aroma of Cherry on top of Cherry very approahable for everyone smooth and a hint of creamyness from the oak

2005 Wanted: Aroma is Rhone Typical, Taste of Sweet Cherry

Rhone Gang Tasting Part 1 (Whites)

Went to a Rhone Gang tasting event put on by Free House Wine and Spirits here in Vancouver, and tried a lot of Rhone Wines, lots of Viognier, Grenache, Syrahs. The wine makers were here as well pouring and talking about their wine which is really cool, If you ever get a chance to get to a tasting or event and the wine maker is there definitely go its worth it and its super fun.

Rodolphe de Pins of Chateau de Montfaucon
Louis Barruol of Chateau de St Cosme
Frederic Chaudiere of Chateau Pesquie

Viognier one of my favourite wine variety if not my favourite, its so floral, and perfumie with hints of acidity and apples all the good stuff, has a slightly oily texture, the grape skins are very bitter and can make a Viognier bad if the juice isn't extracted from the grapes fast enough. Also the perfume aspect can be overwhelming for some people.

Chateau Montfaucon Viognier 2007, its funny I tried this when it was on ice and to be it was boring nothing there, then at the end of the show I was talking to the winemakers decided to have another go this time not as chilled warmed it up a bit and it really opened up, Floral, Perfume but Not over the top crazy a nice balance, and the taste like how a Viognier should be (sorry thats what my notes say hah).

His 2007 Marsanne now I haven't tried a lot of Marsanne so it is new to me, I can say this one had some of the chartaristics of a Viognier but toned down, if not even more balance very nice.

Chateau Pesquie 2007 Viognier Has a nose of Light Flowers and the taste of Light Apple Juice very refreshing was served I little to cold for my taste.

There other line they make is La Paradou 2008(There most southern Rhone Vineyard, border of Provence) and you can taste the warmth of Provence The temp range from day to night here is 10C where at their Pesquie vineyard it is 15C and you can taste the difference. I really enjoyed the La Paradou for 16$ Canadian its a steal really.

The Rose (Decided to add this to white section)
Chateau Pesquie "Les Terrasses" Rose Aroma of Game T: Mild light it is made up of 50% Cinsault 50% Syrah(aprox) I perfer my Rose to have more of that Grapefruit taste like Joie Farms.

Chateau Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2007 this wine was also on ice to long and at the end of the show there were to many people around the table to get another taste of this Blanc, only notes I have are aroma of Green Apple Juice.

Over I like Viognier and The Southern Rhone style is very nice some had so much of that perfume nose you could taste it at the back of your throat

California Wine Fair

Went to the California Wine Fair here in Vancouver, Canada lots of wines to drink from, Didn't taste them all some stood out, a lot were good, but nothing special, definitely some creamy chardonnays, had one chardonnay that almost tasted like a Chablis but I don't know the vineyard name it was beside the stag's leap stand but that doesn't help me hah. Pinot Noir were good, lots of acidity on most and nice balance mostly sonoma, some really nice Zins, all the Cabernet Sauv tasted the same Coffee/Cocoa, fruit big, Some were better then others like the Miners.

Bubbly

Domaine Chandon

Blanc de Noirs [Check]

Brut Classic [Check]

Rose, California [Check] Good fruitiness I really enjoyed this I went back at the end of the show to end off on this but they were all gone ah well

Whites

Bonny Doon [Both these stood out really interesting and good]

Albarino 2008

A: Lime "Candy" not over done candy tho hints

T: Lemon Lime Green Apple [Malic Acid I have Malic Acid Powder at work so it tasted like that]

Le Cigare Blanc [Best tasting note for Aroma of the day]

A: Ocean (Beach) Dried Shellfish, Shells, Oyster shells like when they sun dry on the sandy beach.

T: Can't remember forgot to right down hah the nose was to interesting.

Newton

Unfiltered Chardonnay, I liked

Truchard

Roussane, old world stinkyness coming through, good nose / taste, The people around the booth tasting were more excited about this then I was.

There Chard was nice too

Reds

Dutton-Goldfield Winery A really nice show among all their reds. Both their Syrah and Zin were not your typical style and I liked them both, the lady from the winery was up here and she said you don't like the typical wines eh, yeah sounds like me Not liking what everyone else likes hah

Pinot Noir 2006

A: Fruit, Heat

T: Raspberry, Tingly

Cherry Ridge Syrah Definitely would buy

A: Game, Flower, Syrup Fruit (In A good way and I liked it at GV would say)

T: lighter then expected, very Northern Rhone, my style of Syrah no Pepper Bomb (Didn't taste like Aussie Syrah) nice acidity on it nice balance

Morelli Lane Zin

A: Good nose

T: Good finish fruity not your typical Zin I liked it.

Gary Farrell

Pinot Noir 2006

A: Old World Nose (Barnyard / Game / Poop Combo Kinda)

T: Lots of Fruity and Acidity Blackberry Black Cherry very Balanced also very nice

Justin Vineyard

All Wines were good the Syrah my notes have Cherry with a hint of Greenness I think it was a vegetable or a herb but couldn't nail it down

Miner Family Vineyard

Probably the Best of the Cab Sauv I tasted at the show then again they were 100 and 120$ bottle prices (Remember Canadian BCLD mark up 117%)

Cab 2006

The Oracle 2005, The Big Boy Wine

Patz & Hall Wine Co.

Jenkins Ranch Pinot Noir 2007

A: B-O (yes body odor hah)

T: Nice Fruit, Acid really nice Balance.

Stags' Leap Winery (Not Stag's Leap)

Petit Syrah 2005 One of my Favorite of the Show.

A: Interesting Nose, Could not nail down the aromas.

T: Coffee, Sugar (Not over done)

Truchard (Red)

Pinot Noir 2005

A: Stinky Dirt

T: Creamy, Fruit, Acid Nice Balance hint of Bitterness

Cab Sauv 2005

Coffee Grounds, Big Tannins, Really smooth

Best of Show

Bonny Doon Albarino

The Chablis Tasting Chard If I remember what it was

Stags' Leap Petit Syrah

Dutton-Goldfield Winery Cherry Ridge Syrah