Anthony Gismondi: Champagne indulgence for New Year’s

If you need to get ready for New Year’s and you live out in the valley you are invited to an evening of indulgence at Everything Wine in Abbotsford.

Get ready to sip on the finest Champagne and immerse yourself in a world of luxury and elegance. This in-person event will occur on Friday, Dec. 29, at 6:30 p.m. You will discover a wide selection of exquisite Champagnes carefully curated by James Barlow, the Everything Wine expert who will guide you through a tasting journey, sharing his knowledge and passion for these sparkling delights. Grab your friends, wear your best attire for this event. Tickets are $81.2 at eventbrite.ca

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There will be 15 dinner events, the most ever, at this year’s 45th Vancouver International Wine Festival. Twelve will revolve around visiting Italian wineries, but all the dinners appear highly enticing at great venues. The list of events, and advance of ticket sales that open at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 3 are at vanwinefest.ca. Prices include food and wines, all taxes and gratuities.

B.C. wine of the week

Meyer Family Vineyards Pinot Noir – “B” Field Blend McLean Creek Road Vineyard 2022, Okanagan Falls, B.C.

$31.39 I 91/100

UPC: 626990389538

The “B” blend in 2022 is magic. It’s aged in older neutral French oak barrels for 11 months before bottling. Compared to the warmer 2020 release, this wine is fresher and amazingly juicy. Seamless and delicious from front to back, this is fun to drink with soft tannins, ripe cherries, a dusting of barn yard and a long, silky finish. Love the finesse and simplicity of this wine. Super value. The Pinot plantings at McLean Creek Road Vineyard are a mix of Burgundian clones. When winemaker Chris Carson planted the “B” field in 2017, the new block received three Dijon clones (115, 667, 777) and cuttings from an unknown clone from the designated old-block site. The goal was to be able to harvest field blend each year. All other clones harvested from this vineyard are picked and fermented separately, but for the “B,” the four clones are picked on the same day and co-fermented in a more traditional field blend way.

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Value wine of the week

Barone di Valforte Pecorino 2022, Abruzzo, Italy

$19.99 I 89/100

UPC: 8033413003063

The Sorricchio family has owned the baronial fief of Valforte since the 13th century. The vineyard lies within the DOCG Colline Teramane area, but the Pecorino grape is the star. The Pecorino takes its name from the Italian word for sheep — pecora — that feed off the golden grapes. The aromas are intoxicating, mixing wild honey and citrus with almonds, pears, and mineral undersides. In B.C., this is a terrific mussel wine, or you could serve it with a piece of aged pecorino cheese or a roasted turkey. We love the super value here.