Anthony Gismondi: Buy direct for wines before deadlines kick in

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It is all B.C. wine today as part of our run-up to the holidays. It’s been a crazy year for local producers with devastating losses in the vineyard and unknown timelines to get back up to total production, but most are facing the challenges. It is probably best to wait for the spring before we take a deeper look at what the future holds, but know that a number of key individuals have left their jobs, some pushed out, others unsure what their future might be and are proactively leaving in search of work further afield. These are worrisome departures for a young, inexperienced industry that wants to compete at the top end of the business.

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Several wineries have decided to bring in grapes or juice from outside the country, although, despite a lot of talk about transparency, we see very little at this point about who is doing what. It would be nice to know which land-based wineries have applied and are approved to operate as commercial wineries, thus becoming eligible to import grapes or juice. Also, how these wines will be labelled is as clear as mud to consumers who will be faced with wines made from grapes grown outside B.C., possibly crushed outside B.C., but bottled inside B.C. They won’t be allowed VQA status, but they will likely reside on store shelves beside VQA wines or, worse, in the foreign section of retail stores based on where the grapes originated, but more on all that in 2025.

Let’s get started on B.C. wine suggestions for the holidays. You can buy direct from wineries for delivery over the next week, three to four weeks before holiday shipping deadlines kick in, but those orders will be in six or one-dozen lots. If that doesn’t work for you, consider sharing an order with friends to cut costs. There has been an increase in listings of local wines at B.C. liquor stores, so that is an option. Most private retailers have labels in stock, but inevitable shortages down the road mean there will be less inventory than usual to offer. Don’t expect many wines to be on sale.

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Blue Mountain Estate Cuvée Chardonnay 2022, Okanagan Falls $28: At $30, not much competes with this Chardonnay. It’s the ripest, richest version we have tasted, with sweet pear/pineapple flavour amid a creamy, complex mix of spicy lees, toast, and minerals.

Red Rooster Pinot 3 2021, Okanagan Valley $20.50: P3 stands for Pinots: Noir, Gris, and Pinot. The nose is elegant, the palate precise, pitching lemon and crunchy yellow pear streaks with subtle lees. This is a perfect holiday entertaining white.

Quails’ Gate Dijon Clone Chardonnay 2022, Okanagan Valley, $39.99: This was a great discovery this year. It’s a Chardonnay for oenophiles, a blend of 96, 95, 76, and 548 Dijon clones. It’s impressive and another step up for Chardonnay at this winery.

Black Hills Per Se 2020 Okanagan Valley $55: In 2020, the blend is 79/21 Cabernet Franc/Merlot. Look for vibrant raspberry and strawberry on the nose, and savoury, spicy desert notes jump in, taming the fruit and releasing a subtle, persistent, long palate. Drink or hold.

Mission Hill Perpetua Chardonnay 2021, Okanagan Valley, $66.99: Perpetua has gradually adjusted its fruit sources, including a Naramata component that enhances its elegance and complexity. It is considered one of the country’s best Chardonnays.

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CheckMate Artisanal Winery Silent Bishop Merlot 2020, Okanagan Valley, $105.99: From the western benches of the south Okanagan comes an excellent, sophisticated Merlot that turns heads at the dinner table. Enjoy it now, or gift it to a lucky friend.

Meyer Family Vineyards Pinot Noir – B Field Blend McLean Creek Road Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 Okanagan Falls $31.39: A favourite at the National Wine Awards with a silky texture, a long luxurious palate, vibrant Pinot fruit and a stony/mineral finish. It doesn’t get any better for the price.

Weekend wine picks

Four Shadows Riesling Dry 2021, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley

$23.99 I 89/100

UPC: 696852018890

The last effort was impressive, and this one is equally fine. Lean, taut, and bone dry, it pitches a peachy, tangerine nose with lime, grapefruit, and guava that finish bright and clean. This is another step up, and wine will attract Riesling aficionados. It is also well suited to limitless menu items, from crab and lobster to pork and lamb pizza. Solid.

Phantom Creek Estates Pinot Gris 2023, Okanagan Falls

$27.99 I 93/100

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UPC: 696852069731

Olivier Humbrecht, the legendary Alsace winemaker and biodynamic guru, is the consulting white winemaker at Phantom Creek — and it is his only outside consult. We are still awaiting the wild, stony Evernden Springs Vineyard Similkameen property to make it to this wine; in the meantime, Humbrecht has shaped his best effort 2023 from Okanagan grapes. His unrelentingly slow fermentation techniques have produced a subtle, fresh style with acceptable intensity and length but without the heavy Alsace notes. Typically floral and fragrant, it’s an intriguing mix of citrus, pear, litchi and croissant that is hard to resist. The added minerality and electricity are much appreciated here. Drink or hold. No rush. Excellent value.

Osoyoos Larose 2020, Okanagan Valley

$59.99 I 93/100

UPC: 871610001554

Osoyoos Larose is firmly under the direction of Groupe Taillan in Bordeaux, which not only suits its styling but reflects a wine that has been intelligently planned, planted and made since 2001. There are increasingly more tannins in the Grand Vin since 2019 adding denser, sweeter, more refined tannins contributes to a longer, fuller life in the bottle. Power meets elegance in 2020 with black fruit, cedar, toasted oak, and a dusting of savoury south Okanagan sagebrush. There is no rush here. Buy and cellar through 2030 and beyond.

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Little Engine Gold Merlot 2020, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley

$68 I 92/100

UPC: 626990295549

A stellar vintage has yielded an excellent Gold Merlot in 2020. The result is a concentrated, rich, dark cherry and brambleberry nose. It is round and expansive on the palate, with sweet black plums leading the way, bright acidity, and a warm but balanced finish. This is a fine example of serious wine. Drink or hold, but serve with a rare T-bone for best results.

CheckMate Artisanal Winery Silent Bishop Merlot 2020, Okanagan Valley

$105.99 I 92/100

UPC: 776545803184

Silent Bishop accentuates the vagaries of its south Okanagan site, the cooler western benches under Mount Kobau, namely Oliver North, Golden Mile, and Osoyoos West. The gentle early morning sun kicks off long days at 49 degrees north, beginning as early as 5 a.m. all summer. The sun slips behind Kobau in the late afternoon, allowing the grapes to escape any late-day baking. Its organically grown Merlot tannins provide a silky base for a blend of red and black fruit that sets the table for a spicy mocha finish, dusted with desert sagebrush. Drink from 2025 through 2030.

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The 8th annual Festival of Trees Winery Experience runs Saturday, Nov. 23, until Sunday, Jan. 5. Throughout the festive season, guests are invited to tour the decorated estate and the Mission Hill Family Estate cellar, followed by a seated tasting of wines paired with small bites from the estate’s culinary team. Tickets for the seasonal experience are $65 per guest, with partial proceeds donated to B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation. Reservations can be made online at exploretock.com.

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If you are looking for a high-quality dinner at a bargain price, you can experience a one-night-only chef collaboration featuring District executive chef Ryan Lister from The Dorset in Toronto and Chef Paul Audet from H Tasting Lounge on Thursday, Nov. 28. It is an eight-course affair and the menu is a mix of coastal B.C. flavours with local, sustainable Canadian ingredients, showcasing the unique culinary styles of two visionary chefs. Highlights include dishes like Roasted Scallop and Venison Tartare from The Dorset and Haida Gwaii Tea Smoked Sablefish and Koji Aged Hiro Wagyu Striploin from H Tasting Lounge. Guests will enjoy a decadent dessert course and depart with a surprise selection of handcrafted treats. Tickets start at $145 per person at exploretock.com/htastinglounge, and multiple seating times are available.

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B.C. wine of the week

Spearhead Pinot Noir 2022, Okanagan Valley

$36 I 88/100

UPC: 696852062992

In 2022, winemaker Grant Stanley combined fruit from East Kelowna and Summerland to create a designated Okanagan Valley Pinot Noir. The style is primarily fresh, the nose a mix of red berries, the palate more of the same with some plums and spice with a hint of meaty reduction that blows off in the glass and just a hint of sour cherry in the finish for complexity.  Easy sipping and rounding these slides down effortlessly. It is a mix of Dijon clones 115, 777, and 667, all hand-harvested, destemmed, and cold-soaked for five to seven days before an indigenous yeast fermentation. It spent 13 months in French oak barrels, of which only 25 per cent were new. This is a fun wine for light pizzas, salmon sushi or duck pate.

Value wine of the week

Fonseca Bin No 27 Reserve Port N/V, Douro Valley, Portugal

$22.99 I 88/100

UPC: 5013521100451

Fonseca Bin 27 was launched more than 40 years ago in Britain but has become a particular favourite in North America. It is a no-fuss Port with some power and fruit that reflects the goal of making “a smooth, full-bodied and densely fruity blend in style known at the time as ‘vintage character’ but usually known today as the finest reserve.” The firm habitually named its crusted Ports using bin numbers, and Bin 27 was born. Little has changed today. The attack is sweet and spicy with a touch of fire, sugared blackberry, cassis, dark cocoa, black tea, and finished with black pepper. You can drink this alone or with some toasted nuts or Christmas pudding.

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