Anthony Gismondi: Prosecco the wine with increasing global strength

Article content

The Vancouver International Wine Festival is in the rear-view mirror, but not before the Italians left their mark on the city.

The week opened with a Gala Dinner and Auction that raised $165,000 for Bard on the Beach. Interestingly, the choice of a Prosecco dinner reception featuring Tommasi Filodora Prosecco and Vini Tonon Camúl Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore celebrated one of only two wine categories that showed any strength globally in 2023.

Article content

Article content

According to SipSource, which tracks wholesaler depletions in the U.S., Prosecco was up 5.3 per cent yearly in volume and was the only sparkling wine to show a sales increase. On-premise general wine sales began the year down 10 per cent from the same time in 2022 and never recovered, with December sales down 3.5 per cent compared to December 2022. I wonder who will step up and support the arts while the wine community — the perennial giver — is licking its wounds for the next few years.

Urs Vetter, Commercial Director of Vietti, acclaimed Piemonte producer, enthralled the crowd at Il Giardino with a rich selection of wines seamlessly matched to Umberto Menghi’s menu. If you want to know why Il Giardino has aged gracefully and is still packed every night, book a table and watch the hospitality and artistry unfold around you. The Vietti selection, all from Piemonte, was stellar. The surprise was an outstanding white wine, Vietti 2021 Timorasso Derthona Colli Tortonesi, that opens with exotic floral and citrus notes that play throughout a savoury, mineral, high acid finish; some consider Timorasso the white Barolo. The Gull Liquor Store and Marquis Wine Cellars have a few bottles in the $70 to $85 range; there are some less expensive bottles in B.C.

Article content

Inside the tasting room, there was plenty of vintage talk in the Italian section among Brunello di Montalcino and Barolo producers. Both have enjoyed some magical years in the last decade. There is some consensus for buyers looking for the best; in Barolo, 2016 and 2019 are tops, with 2017 and 2018 not far behind. As for Brunello, 2015, 2016, and 2019 topped the best years. Despite climbing prices, you will find a much-improved selection of Barolo and Brunello in monopoly and private stores.

A large contingent of local winemakers attended the festival, taking advantage of 100 foreign wineries to recalibrate their palates, which can get tired of tasting the same wines every day for long periods of time. Many take inspiration from other wines, and after speaking with several of them about the current challenges in the Okanagan, I know they will need a lot of inspiration to make it through the next three years.

What is clear is that 2024 will be a completely normal year for most wineries in the Okanagan in terms of the front of the house. What happens in the vineyards while foreboding is yet to play out and it won’t to late April and early May. More on that in the coming weeks. Visits and tastings are highly encouraged, and unless you are in a wine club or two or three, plenty of wine will be available onsite to buy or order online, mainly from the plentiful 2022 and lesser amounts from the winter damaged 2023 crop. As they regroup and prepare for next year, you can expect to see some older releases available for sale from the cellar. From all accounts, it should be a normal year for tourists.

Article content

Article content

As for the 45-year-old festival, it looks tired and could use a refresh. The wines and the principals in the room are still the main draw for enthusiasts, but with the World Cup on its way to Vancouver next year, production values need attention. The room and view are not enough to carry the show; like most 45-year-olds, it needs an injection of pizzazz, a new wardrobe, more pop-up food stands, maybe a cocktail bar featuring drinks made from wine, more than one central theme, the ability to order or buy wine on your phone at the booth, and so much more. It’s been a great show, but it’s time for a new look, more tech and some new ideas.

Weekend wine picks

Frind Estate Winery Chardonnay 2022, Okanagan Valley

$24.99 I 89/100

UPC: 626990415329

This is a fine followup to 2020, an easy-sipping, cool Chardonnay with green apple and citrus. Another measure of acidity this year gives the wine an added dimension. With a little more lees for complexity, it will be a solid addition to the Okanagan Chardonnay crowd. For now, it’s worthy of a simply dressed margherita pizza or a favourite vegetarian power bowl. Well done.

Article content

Mt. Boucherie Original Vines Semillon 2022, Okanagan Valley

$34.99 I 91/100

UPC: 8122891153

Lost Horn Vineyard overlooks Lake Vasseau and Macintyre Bluff and turned 22 in 2022. The soil is a mix of glacially deposited rock in mounds with glaciofluvial sands and gravels, which seems perfect for Sémillon. And 60 per cent of the juice was fermented in stainless steel, and the remainder was wild fermented in new French oak barriques with full MLF. This underwent bâtonnage over six months before a final blend and returned to stainless steel for two months. This is an intriguing wine pitching intensity, some richness, and honey with beautiful lean but ripe pear. This sophisticated front end leaks into a savoury orange-streaked finish.

Tommasi Le Fornaci Lugana 2022, Veneto, Italy

$36.99 I 90/100

UPC: 8004645359105

Le Fornaci is a Lugana white from the southern tip of Lake Garda due east of Verona. The Lugana DOC straddles two Italian regions: Lombardy, with 90 per cent of the vines to the west, and Veneto to the east, where 60 per cent of the winemaking occurs. Le Fornaci, or the Furnace, is named for a local Roman brick kiln, but the show’s star is the Turbiana grape. It is fermented in stainless steel tanks with no malolactic fermentation and no wood to keep it ultra fresh as it ages briefly — three months — on its lees. You will love the intense white flower nose with additional citrus notes. On the palate, the flavours are bold, mixing lime, green apple and honeysuckle with salty almonds. It is a fabulous seafood wine perfect for West Coast diners.

Article content

Gérard Bertrand Côte Des Roses Rosé 2021, Languedoc, France

$24.95 I 89/100

UPC: 3514123111002

Gerard Bertrand has been pursuing several Rosé versions, each with its charm. This introductory Côte Des Roses Rosé comes from various sites across the Languedoc. The blend is Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah; each vinified separately in stainless steel before blending. The palate is a cool, sleek, fresh affair with a rush of juicy strawberry and raspberry flecked with tangerine and bright acidity that keeps you returning the glass. Finished under a Vino-Loc, the bottle looks as good as it tastes. Prawns, anyone?

Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino Organic 2018, Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, Italy

$69.99 I 92/100

UPC: 801670003412

Col D’Orcia, as the name points out, is a sunny slope that runs down to the Orcia River at the southwest border of Montalcino. This is structurally attractive with firm but dense sweet tannins, a medley of savoury dark cherry streaked with tobacco, mushrooms, and light chocolate with a complexity of earth and eucalyptus. This elegant version of Brunello’s style should carry itself well for eight to 10 years. It was fermented over three weeks in stainless steel and aged for two years in varying-sized Slavonian and French oak casks.

Article content

Calendar items

The annual Oliver Osoyoos Pig Out Festival, a whole-hog weekend full of delicious food and local wine, is set for May 3-5. The main event occurs Saturday,  surrounded by the vines at Cellar Door  and More, home to Jackson-Triggs and Inniskillin, just north of Oliver. Local and guest chefs will unite to showcase their culinary talents under a fiesta theme that celebrates South Okanagan’s diverse food and wine culture. Purchase Pig Out Festival tickets, currently $109 plus tax, visit oliverosoyoos.com. Tickets include entry to the festival, tokens to enjoy the food stations and wine samples throughout the afternoon, a shuttle service from Oliver or Osoyoos to the festival location, and a safe ride home. The event is only for guests aged 19 and older.

•••

The Secret Garden has returned to H Tasting Lounge at The Westin Bayshore. You and five friends are invited to immerse yourself in a spring season dining experience in a private garden-themed dome. The beauty of Coal Harbour backdrops cocktails and a rich menu crafted from the finest local ingredients as cherry blossoms spread a blanket of pink and white along the seawall. Each dome has lush foliage, twinkling lights, sound, heat, and fresh-air systems. Minimum spends for party sizes of up to six people, excluding tax and gratuity, are: weekday lunch $150; weekend lunch $300; Sunday to Thursday dinner $250; Friday to Saturday dinner $500. For menu details and reservations, log onto Tock.

Article content

B.C. wine of the week

Moraine Pinot Gris 2023, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley

$22 I 89/100

UPC: 626990127703

Winter damage has shortened the 2023 crop by half, but it looks as if the quality is just fine. This Moraine gris came off the Narmata Bench only in 2023, pitching vibrant notes of white peaches, pears and wet stones. The mid-palate is lively and fresh, helping sweep the juicy lemons, tangerine and lime zest along a stony mineral finish. Cool as a cucumber salad, don’t wait to buy this one in restaurants, private wine shops or direct from the winery.

Value wine of the week

Tania and Vincent Carême Le Blanc Terre Brûlée 2020, Swartland, South Africa

$18.99 SP I 91/100

UPC: 3770003649540

Vincent Carême is a well-known Loire producer in Vouvray, at Domaine Vincent Carême, but more interesting, his wife Tania is South African. Together, they farm just over four hectares of vineyard located on Swartland granite. Terre Brûlée is the winery’s flagship label and delivers from start to finish at the flagship label. The vines are well on 40 years old and sit at a comfortable and cool 625 meters of elevation. The nose is fresh with a distinct bony saline nose, and the palate is tweaked with quince and green peach. There is intensity and length, and a suggestion you could age this for a decade — currently on sale at a bargain price.

Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add VancouverSun.com and TheProvince.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.

You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber: For just $14 a month, you can get unlimited access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

Article content