Eau Vivre Winery, out of the Similkameen Valley in British Columbia, is quickly becoming one of my “go to” wineries. By that I mean that if I were to go to a party or be invited to a dinner and needed to bring a bottle of vino, I would likely think of bringing some Eau Vivre.
Recently, I opened up a bottle of their 2013 Riesling. I had it wrapped up, as I was blind tasting my friend on it. My friend doesn’t have a lot of experience blind tasting, but I thought that this would be a good example of Riesling to blind taste him with.
While waiting for him to take his guesses, I was engulfed in the beauty of this Riesling.
In his book, White Wine Guide: A complete introduction to choosing white wines, Jim Ainsworth states, “It may seem surprising, but many people consider Riesling to be the world’s most aristocratic white grape variety. Yes, they even put it above Chardonnay, the grape behind such noble Burgundian wines as Puligny-Montrachet and Corton-Charlemagne” [112].
As such, Riesling is well-known across the globe, and it is a grape that can make a number of different styles ranging from seriously acidic to syrupy sweet to sparkling!
With bountiful citrus notes, the 2013 vintage did not disappoint. This vintage had that mouth-puckering acidity that one loves to find in a Riesling. It deserves respect. The fresh lemon juice and lime zest notes were at the forefront of the bouquet and on the palate.
Karen MacNeil, writer of The Wine Bible, confirms that Riesling’s reputation is built on its acidity. “Great riesling has soaring acidity […] [and its] refined structure is complemented by the mouth-wateringly delicate flavors of fresh ripe peaches, apricots, and melons, sometimes pierced with a vibrant mineral quality, like the taste of water running over stones in a mountain stream” [51].
A perfect food pairing for Riesling
Obvious but not overpowering petrol notes wafted from the glass, and a dense minerality came out on the long finish. My friend noted the white grapefruit on both the bouquet and palate, and I likened it more to the pith. Regardless, the notes were a great combination.
Initially, the wine was very cold, so as it warmed up in the glass, some stone fruit made its way out of the glass as well. I picked out some fleshy peach, and my friend chimed in with some apricot. We were both delighted.
The wine paired beautifully with the Tequila Lime sausages from Oyama on Granville Island.
Their Rieslings are available at select liquor stores, online, and at the winery. Their website lists the 2012 at $17.00 CAD and the 2014 at $19.00 CAD.
Read more about Eau Vivre’s wines here: https://demystifiedvine.com/2015/05/21/eau-vivres-bright-whites-from-the-similkameen/
The Wine Party ladies, Jennifer Schell and Terry Meyer Stone, hosted the “small guys wine festival” highlighting small production wineries in British Columbia at the sold-out event at the Wise Hall on Sunday, April 17th, 2016. Of the 20 garagiste producers in attendance who make less than 2000 cases each per year, Nighthawk Vineyards really captured my attention. When I say “really”, I mean really. The word “really” is an adverb meaning “in a real way”. Really, it does.
What can I say about Nighthawk Vineyards wines? Let me take a breath. For a festival that only lasted a mere few hours, let me just say that I spent about an hour just going through these wines. There was something so unique (this word doesn’t even describe it) and fascinating about them.
Nighthawk Vine motto: “A celebration of family and friendship inspired by the natural beauty of this magical valley.”
Located between Penticton and Oliver, BC in Okanagan Falls, this recently-turned winery has been harvesting grapes for 14 years. According to their website, Nighthawk “evolved from vineyard to boutique farm gate winery”. The vineyard and winery are named after the Nighthawk which returns each spring season to nest. Okanagan Falls provides a distinct “rare habitat perfectly suited to these majestic birds”.
The table at the festival was always packed, so I asked Christy Bibby a few questions post-garagiste party about the winery.
It is clear that Christy has a lot of pride in Nighthawk Vineyards. Her words echo many of my sentiments and strengthen my first impressions of this special BC winery.
Christy said that if she could describe Nighthawk Vineyards’s wines in three words, they would be, “elegant, well-balanced, and distinctive”.
There was absolutely no question in my mind while I was tasting these wines that they were all three of those characteristics. Garagiste producers are focused on the love of growing grapes and making wine that honestly reflects what their land offers them.
According to the garagistenorth website, the term ‘Garagiste’ “started out in France (of course) where it was a derogatory phrase for those avante garde and crazy mavericks making wine in their garage and outside the highly regulated system”.
Christy communicated that they, at Nighthawk, believe that “90% of making a great wine is achieved in the vineyard”. They “focus on cropping the vines to a low yield with minimal watering [which helps to] achieve highly concentrated flavour profiles”.
“Our whites are crafted to be fruit forward and crisp,” she continued, “with a smooth finish that highlights layers of complexity.”
Nighthawk’s red wines are aged for a minimum of 18 months which helps them to not only work with the fruit quality, but also achieve the kind of rich, red wines that are well-balanced and offer a distinct complexity.
A fun fact about Nighthawk? The surrounding area of the vineyard and winery is as natural as it comes. “Our vineyard terroir is quite distinctive due in part to the beautiful lake at the end of our property called ‘Green Lake’, which is alkaline based. In addition to being the home of a colony of painted turtles, the lake contributes significant minerality to our soil which in turn imparts unique flavor profiles in our wines.”
ABOUT THE WINES
2014 Viognier $21.90
I wish I could describe to you how positively intense this Viognier is. It officially took the “Best Viognier in BC” as awarded by my brain. It has distinctive crystallized ginger, tangerine, and floral notes (mostly rose but with a side of white flowers in the back of the bouquet). It is well-balanced and offered a delightfully long finish of which to sit and dream.
2014 Gewürztraminer $19.90
Offering a graceful dance of prominent white pepper & cloves, nectarine, and hints of tropical lychee, I was in heaven. Leaning toward being drier than most Gews, I cannot describe the absolutely delightful experience this Gew gave me. Fruity, poised, and mineral-driven to boot, this is a Gew for non-Gew fans. Believe me. I’ve tasted a few Gews.
2015 Rose $21.90
Charmingly simple and yet so complex. It offered the essence of a rose wine, but with the depth of fruit that it’s 100% Pinot Noir grapes can provide. Kissed with strawberry, cherry, cranberry and rhubarb, this rose was delectable.
2011 Merlot $24.90
Rich. Layered. Intricate. Multifarious. This Merlot was driven to be the definition of diverse; it showed a unique take on what Merlot can be. Plum, black fruits, and ripe raspberry all came into play alongside the secondary notes of mocha, fine dark chocolate, and vanilla swirl. Sounds like Merlot, right? Yes, but refined. Well done.
I asked Christy what her “go-to” wine was and why. Her reply:
Viognier would be my go to wine, as it reflects ripe apricot notes that remind me of why I love the Okanagan…fresh and natural.
Christy, I loved it too.
For more information on Nighthawk Vineyards, visit their website at http://www.nighthawkvineyards.com or better yet, visit them if you get the chance.
I PROMISE IT WILL BE WORTH IT.
Cheers!
The Demystified Vine
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At the Wise Hall in Vancouver on Sunday, April 17th, 2016, The Wine Party ladies, Jennifer Schell and Terry Meyer Stone, hosted the “small guys wine festival” highlighting small production wineries in British Columbia. A sold-out event, this party was one that I was grateful to attend. With 20 “small guys” attending and pouring at least 3 wines, I walked away from the party with more enthusiasm for #bcwine, and of course, a smile on my face.
Photo Courtesy of Sue Thygesen
ABOUT THE VINEYARD AND WINERY
The Skaha Vineyard table was tucked away by the stage of the old entertainment hall. Gerry & Sue Thygesen proudly stood by their wines, awaiting the trade and media folks to pile in.
The vineyard itself is located above Skaha Lake in the Okanagan Valley in Kaleden, BC. Skaha Vineyard is an “estate, single vineyard series” which is made by the folks at Kraze Legz winery. With their ‘Skaha vines’ growing on fossilized sandstone, and with influences from the cool lake, the Thygesen’s believe their wines are uniquely influenced not only location, but by their passion for wine making.
‘Skaha’ comes from the native Okanagan dialect and means horse or pony. The vineyard’s name comes from Sue’s adoration of horses.
“We make under 2000 cases,” Gerry stated, “and there are no plans to expand production.”
Photo Courtesy of Gerry Thygesen
Undoubtedly, every vineyard has its own personality, and Skaha Vineyard is no different. So, where does the inspiration for Skaha come from? It is based on the “uniqueness of our vineyard’s substrate (fossilized sandstone),” Gerry stated, “[which] has built a solid foundation [and] which inspires us to foster that uniqueness”.
ABOUT THE WINES
Post-wine party, I contacted Gerry to find out a bit more about Skaha and what this series of wine is all about.
Photo Courtesy of Sue Thygesen
Gerry described Skaha Vineyard as “clean, brilliant, terroir-based”.
The Skaha Vineyard 2015 Pinot Blanc was crisp and clean with notes of crunchy apple and sweet tangerine. I really enjoyed the mouthfeel and acidity of this wine; these two characteristics were well-balanced. The finish was lovely with hints of a mineral backbone.
Moving on to the 2015 Unoaked Chardonnay, I thought about how many people love to hate on Chard. Knowing that Chardonnay is one of the most versatile grapes around, I was eager to taste it. This particular vintage was boasting with fresh, fuzzy peach, and good acidity. Lemon-lime, tangerine, and minerality all came to play as well. A perfect summer sipper.
Of the 2015 Mystique (a blend of Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay), Gerry said, “It’s almost too easy to consume…almost too dangerous.” I agreed. It was one of those lightly-intense, quaffable wines that quench thirst on hot summer days. Patio umbrellas and the buzz of bees came to my mind. “The 70-30 range is where it needs to be.” Gerry said. This delicate wine was well-balanced with crisp apple and floral notes. Hints of green pear came through on the palate as well.
The 2012 Merlot was a joy to taste. Plum, cherry, dark chocolate, and raspberry were all present. Although this was a bit of a thinner-bodied Merlot than others I’ve tasted in BC, it was sexy. My note says “very nice”. Yes, I remember enjoying it quite a bit.
Photo Courtesy of Sue Thygesen
Finally, I had to try the 2013 Cabernet Franc. True to its roots, I thought this Cab Franc was very clean. Aged 20 months in French oak barrels, this vintage confidently stated its red berry, peppery, licorice notes with a side of vanilla toast. Wow. I had to tell my winelover friend Eric Urquhart (@EricLovesWine) to try it. I had an inkling he would enjoy it. He did.
I love the fact that Gerry calls his “wines” his “children”. I asked him which of his wines is his “go-to” wine and why? His repsponse: “Which of my children do I like the best? We are now through our 6th vintage, and we have yet to release a wine that has not won a major industry award, so for us, every one of our wines is considered our go to wine.” Fair enough, Gerry.
If you happen to be in the area, make sure you stop in and say hello. You’ll likely enjoy their 1920s Speakeasy themed tasting room.
A big thanks to The Wine Party ladies for organizing and hosting such an inspirational event.
Photo from garagistenorth.com
Cheers!
The Demystified Vine
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The Vancouver International Wine Festival brought Italy to Vancouver this year. The festival hosted 156 wineries from 14 countries, and poured over 1, 450 bottles of wine. Wine lovers tasted vino at the Convention Centre, attended educational seminars, and sat down to combine a love for wine and food at various celebratory dinners.
Among the celebrated events was the ’50 Years of Campofiorin’ dinner. Folks gathered at the new Glowbal restaurant on West Georgia Street to feast on a menu prepared by Executive Chef Pedro Gonzalez. Chef Gonzalez began his culinary journey in order to bring food lovers together. Between food-inspiring gigs in the Bay area of California and Las Vegas, Gonzalez is excited to be continuing his journey on the west coast in the city of Vancouver, which is brimming with a thriving food scene filled with fresh local seafood and produce.
The focus winery for the ’50 Years of Campofiorin’ dinner was Masi Agricola. Hailing from northern Italy and with over 240 years of family winemaking, one can conclude that winemaking is in their blood. “We come from Verona,” stated Raffaele Boscaini, who is the Director of Marketing for Masi, “and my family has made wine since 1772.”
Photos courtesy of Masi Agricola
The Campofiorin dinner is special because of the history of making this unique wine. According to the website dedicated to this spectacular vino, Campofiorin is “an original creation from Masi dating back to 1964 [and] Campofiorin is recognised internationally as the forerunner of a new category of Venetian wines made with the Appassimento method.”
“Masi comes from ‘Vaio dei Masi’,” continued Raffaele. “This is where the name came from. It means ‘valley of Masi’.” As the crowd sipped their first wine – the Masi Campofiorin 1997 – Raffaele stood in front of a crowd of about 50 people, and explained how important the ’50 Years of Campofiorin’ dinner was. “Tonight we are celebrating 50 years of our flagship wine Campofiorin,” Boscaini said. “Canada is a very successful region for us with the wine. It’s a wine of using the technique called ripasso [and] Amarone is the father [of Campofiorin].”
Raffaele Boscaini and I sat beside one another during dinner. We chatted about the winery, and about how Masi is received all over the globe. Raffaele stated, “One of the most important wines we make is Amarone.”
Photos courtesy of Masi Agricola
Of all the countries in the world, Canada is “the biggest export market [for Masi], followed by Sweden and the UK”. Yes, we do love our wine here in Canada, and I know we love our Italian wine, too.
The dinner was delightful. With 6 dishes to set the tone, I knew I was in for a full belly later that evening.
The first course was a Mushroom Carpaccio, with torta di mascarpone, pinenut brittle, and truffle honey served with Masi Campofiorin 1997. A wonderful 1st course that was both rich and complex. The wine brought out the complex flavours of the mushroom, and before I even knew it, it had disappeared. The 1997 Campofiorin was a beautiful blend of dark chocolate cherries, cigar box, and hints of mocha. Graceful hints of raisin made its way through on the finish, which showed the loveliness of this almost 20 year old wine.
Onto the next culinary delight was the Cured Foie and Seared Scallop with pickled cabbage, duck confit, and cauliflower puree. Masi Campofiorin 2007 graced the glasses. The cherry and vanilla, in addition to the cranberry and wet tobacco notes, went surprisingly well with the scallop.
Wine poached Monkfish, artichoke and kale compote, and sunchokes were up for the third plate alongside the Masi Campofiorin 2012. The kale was almost raw in texture, and its greenness paired well with the acidity in the wine. Blackcherry, black pepper, and hints of vanilla made this 2012 vintage quite layered. Its plush red fruits on the palate and smooth tannins matched the texture of the fish and firmness of the sunchokes.
Campofiorin label courtesy of Masi Agricola
The 4th course included Braised Lamb Cheek with goats cheese and fontina ravioli with buerre rouge. (Oh, yes!) The Masi Costasera Amarone (Barrel Release) 2012 was poured into our glasses. So. Complimentary. A match made in heaven on all fronts. The concentrated, precise vino made it all so easy to enjoy. Blackcurrant, blueberry, spice, hints of mocha, anise, and dark chocolate on the bouquet made this wine a delight to sip, but the added dry tobacco, rose petal, and black pepper notes on the palate made me ask for another pour. The lamb cheek was perfectly tender, and made a genuinely unforgettable pairing all the more enjoyable.
The dishes kept coming. Next up was the Snake River Farms Eye of Ribeye, buttered leeks, bone marrow brulee, heirloom carrots, and Masi Costasera Amarone 2007. A well done dish which extracted the smokey vanilla, blackberry creme, and peppery notes from the vino. This vintage of Amarone boasted complex notes of spices, dried fruits, and dark chocolate. When it comes to beef-based dishes like ribeye, you cannot go wrong with a well-rounded Amarone.
Dessert finally arrived, and while I was gratefully full, I couldn’t resist the Chocolate Galaxy, apricot sorbet, saffron anglaise and Masi Costasera Amarone 1997. The name really just says it all, doesn’t it? Let’s say it together. Chocolate Galaxy. At this point, I didn’t have much room in my belly (other than for wine), but it was a great way to finish the evening.
Bottom (L to R): Massimiliano Iacchini (Consul General of Italy) and Raffaele Boscaini
For more information on Masi Agricola, visit masi.it. You can also find out where you can purchase these vibrant wines by visiting the BCLDB website (if you live in British Columbia) here.
The Demystified Vine 