2007 Tinhorn Creek Merlot – Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

I served Tinhorn Creek’s ’07 South Okanagan Valley Merlot with our grilled hamburgers, homemade rosemary-and-olive-oil tossed chips and coleslaw. On the nose the wine was floral and fruity, with a dusty undertone. On the palate, flavors of berries, dark cherries, and a little cocoa worked well with the smoky goodness of the burgers and savory potatoes. While not terribly complex, this wine is juicy, bright and well balanced. To read more about the wines Kathleen drinks, visit her blog Between the Vines

NV Sumac Ridge Sparkling Rosé – Okanagan Valley, BC

A blend of 51% Pinot Noir, 30% Gamay Noir, and 19% Ehrenfelser—is a fresh and sassy sparkler, with lots of citrus and berry flavours and a frothy mousse that shouts fun! Each sip left my palate clean and ready for more smoked salmon, cheeses and crunchy fresh veggies with dip. While there certainly was a lot of fruitiness, I didn’t get a sense of sweetness with this wine. To read more about this wine, visit Kathleen’s blog post on Between the Vines.

2008 Cave Spring Riesling – Niagara Peninsula VQA, Ontario

This wine is off-dry (17.5g/L residual sugar) with sufficient acid to give a sensation that it is drier. Floral aromas lead to pear, apricot and honey flavors, the sweetness counter-balanced by lightly tart key lime. Cloves and all-spice show on the mid-length finish. This uncloying but slightly sweet wine would be a great pairing with spicy Thai or Vietnamese food.

NV Sumac Ridge Sparking Gewürztraminer – Okanagan Valley, BC

When first poured, the wine shared aromas of citrus and tropical fruits, along with floral and honey notes and an exotic spiciness. The palate, however, didn’t produce what my nose told me to expect. At all. I got some floral, spice, and citrus on the palate, but the elements didn’t come together. I found its sweetness cloying, not in harmony with its acidity and fruit. To read more about this wine, visit Kathleen’s blog post on Between the Vines.

It’s All about Trust: Insight and Analysis From a Boutique Wine Retailer

As a part-time manager of a wine retail shop in British Columbia, and a full-time marketer, Paul Rickett is bringing a level of analysis to his business and providing interesting results that apply to both wine consumers and retailers at-large in North America. In a word, it’s all about “trust.”

2008 Strut Red Over Heels, Okanagan, British Columbia

I found plums, blackberries, black olives, and spice on the nose, with plums and ripe cherries on the palate. This simple, pleasant wine is value priced and ready to drink now. It worked just fine with tonight’s meat loaf and would probably match up with any meat dish that wasn’t too rare or rich. Read Kathleen’s full review on her blog Between the Vines

Sumac Ridge Tribute “Silver” Sparkling Wine

One can be content with the silver, in this case. It is a pleasant, crisp traditional method sparkling wine, made from 100% chardonnay. Lemon and citrus aromas, with a touch of toasted bread, on the nose, and apple and a touch of pear on the palate, with plenty of lively bubbles to give it a true sense of celebration. Not terribly complex, but neat and well-made enough to keep you smiling through the final hockey game – where silver, however, will not keep Canadians content.

Mission Hill Quatrain 2006

Quatrain is absolutely striking in its exuberant fruit, concentration and smooth, silky tannins. The blend of shiraz, merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon could feel over the top, but its relatively moderate alcohol (13%) and good acidity keep it food-friendly and balanced. WHO Mission Hill WHAT Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon WHERE Canada, British [...]

Closson Chase 2007 South Clos Chardonnay

Ten years ago, there was hardly a vine in the area, and now over thirty wineries are active. Closson Chase is one of the very best (along with Long Dog, Norman Hardie, By Chadsey’s Cairn and Rosehall Run), with careful vineyard management and unabashed use of barrel-fermentation in French oak for the Chardonnays. The South [...]

Le Clos Jordanne 2007 Le Grand Clos Pinot Noir

This joint venture by Boisset and Vincor is an exceptional experiment in characterizing the terroir of the Niagara region, through a fully Burgundian, single-vineyard approach to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In the recently-released 2007 vintage, Le Grand Clos Pinot Noir, the most exclusive bottling produced by Le Clos Jordanne, stole the show with incredible depth and [...]

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