Anthony Gismondi: B.C. wine for the week of Oct. 6, a bottle to cellar and calendar items

Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.

Article content

If you are interested in upgrading your wine knowledge, the folks at WSET are offering a Level 1, all-day class, finishing with a 30-question, multiple-choice paper sent from and marked by WSET London on Oct. 22.

Article content

The session is intensive and in-depth, perfect for industry professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Article content

Upon successful completion, you will have a basic understanding of the leading wine types and styles, the ability to describe the characteristics of the world’s principal grape varieties, a sense of fundamental food and wine matching, the ability to use a systematic approach to tasting and writing simple tasting notes, storage and service procedures for wine and finally, familiarity with the professional responsibility surrounding the service of wine and the social, legal & health aspects.

The venue is the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts; the fee is $399.

You are invited to the season’s final Battle of the Wines event on Oct. 29 at Nighthawk Vineyards in Okanagan Falls.

Article content

Participants will blind-taste 10 Merlots paired with smoky BBQ brisket cooked in the Nighthawk Vineyards kitchen. Organizers will walk you through how to evaluate, pair, and score wine, Battle of the Wines style, and guarantee you’ll have a lot of fun doing it. Tickets are $65 on Eventbrite.

B.C. wine of the week

Mission Hill Compendium 2017, Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada 

$81.99 I 93/100

UPC: 776545556288

Compendium is a 62/29/9 mix of Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/and Cabernet Franc that comes off selected blocks in Osoyoos, close to the U.S. border. It is fermented in small French fermenters and aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. Compendium has grown over the years, favouring a more singular style, meshing components early on for a long run in the bottle. Their 2017 is an excellent example of where this Cabernet-dominant blend is heading. Even at 14.6 per cent alcohol, there is a sense of balance. The attack is quite harmonious, with cassis and black cherry mixing with licorice and dense, sweet, elegant tannins with the complexity you crave at this price point. Just a baby, this will age effortlessly through 2025 and beyond. If you must open it now, think lamb or rich pork dishes.

Article content

Wine for the cellar 

Ruffino Riserva Ducale Oro Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2017, Tuscany, Italy 

$48.99 I 91/100

UPC: 8001660130054

The Riserva Ducale Oro has been made only in the best years since its inception in 1947. Their 2017 mixes 83/12/5 Sangiovese/Merlot/and Colorino, spending 12 months in concrete, 12 months in large Slavonian oak casks and 12 months in used barriques. We love the aromatic forest floor cedar notes with its muted plummy black cherry notes and spice. It is a food wine in the best sense of the phrase and almost any fall dish grilled over a fire would be acceptable. Drink or hold through 2025.