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Vancouver International Wine Festival picks: For taste, make haste?
From B.C.’s best to the ‘best stuff,’ period, to collectibles, shimmering Chardonnays and beautiful blends, here’s what you should be checking out
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Wanted: British Columbia white wines of interest
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Wine producers in British Columbia continue to hone their skills. After a decade or two of talking about a signature grape or two, it is exciting to report they are mainly growing what the land will give them. So much has been accomplished, and while we are not near the finish line, B.C. can stand proud inside the tasting room. In today’s wine world, climate change, carbon footprints, organics, sustainability, ethics and more are all factors that influence consumers to buy locally. Here is a shortlist of top homemade whites in the room:
CedarCreek 2021 Estate Sauvignon Blanc. Kelowna, $22.
Church & State, Black Sage Bench, 2018 Sparkling Pinot Gris (Traditional Method), $26.
Peak Cellars 2020 Gruner Veltliner, Lake Country, $28.
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Harper’s Trail Estate 2020 Field Blend White, Kamloops, $18.99.
Haywire Switchback Organic 2019 Pinot Gris, Summerland, $28.99.
Moraine Estate 2021 Pinot Gris, Naramata Bench, $25.
Phantom Creek Estates Pinot Gris, Okanagan Valley, $28.
Seven Stars by Township 2015 Sirius Sparkling Wine, Langley, $79.97.
Unsworth Vineyards 2020 Chardonnay, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, $27.99.
Who brought the best stuff to the festival
Always one of our favourite lists, we salute the wineries that decided if they were going to make an effort to come to Vancouver, they would pour their best stuff. The current wine market is in a complete upheaval in the aftermath of the pandemic, and when you add to how difficult it is to do business in B.C., we salute those who still believe in the market. We have also highlighted a favourite they are pouring. Expect lineups.
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Château Pesquié, Ventoux, France – Quintessence Rouge 2019, $29.
Dr. Loosen, Mosel, Germany – Wehlener Sonnenuhr 2019 GG Riesling, $46.99.
Stags’ Leap Winery, Napa Valley, Calif. – 2018 Petite Sirah, $48.99.
Bodega Garzón, Maldonado, Uruguay – 2018 Reserva Tannat, $25.
Robert Mondavi, Napa Valley, Calif. – 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville District, $58.99.
Rocca delle Macìe, Tuscany, Italy – Chianti Classico 2018 Gran Selezione Riserva di Fizzano, $47.
(Jackson Family Wines) Freemark Abbey Napa Valley, Calif. – Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, $77.99.
Familia Zuccardi, Mendoza, Argentina – 2017 Poligonos Altamira Malbec, $38.99.
A perfect case for collectors
The festival can offer collectors a treasure trove of bottles. Insiders know that almost all wines poured in the Tasting Room are available for sale at the onsite B.C. Liquor Store. It is good news if only because an increasing proportion of wines, and all the interesting ones brought to the festival, are unavailable in government stores. So be prepared to strike early in the evening each night when the onsite store opens and watch for the following highly collectible labels:
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Bodegas Castaño 2018 Santa, Yecla, Spain, $39.99.
Familia Zuccardi 2017 Zuccardi Poligonos Altamira Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, $38.99.
Penfolds Bin 704 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Calif., $99.99.
Robert Mondavi Winery 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville District, Napa Valley, Calif., $58.99.
Rodney Strong 2019 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, Calif., $29.99.
S by Signorello 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Calif., $99.99.
Sokatira 2018 Idees Priorat, Spain, $48.99.
Tolaini Valdisanti, Tuscany, Italy, $49.99.
Vino Vuina 2014 Crljenak Štafileo, Dalmatia, Croatia, $56.99.
Chardonnay: Next World
The latest Chardonnay is neither Old World nor New World; it’s Next World. The style lines are fresh, precise, authentic, bright, electric, mineral and real. Today top-flight Chardonnay emanates from all corners of the globe, but this week you only need to criss-cross the Tasting Room to savour some of the most interesting. Whole-cluster pressed, barrel-fermented, hand-stirred, aged in oak, concrete eggs, cement vats, stainless steel, unfined, never filtered, no sulphur, with or without malolactic, take your pick.
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Cascina Galarin 2020 Chardonnay Nuvole, Piemonte Italy, $25.99.
La Crema 2020 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast, Calif., $32.99.
La Frenz 2021 Freedom 75 Vineyard Chardonnay, $22.28.
Quails’ Gate 2021 Chardonnay, West Kelowna, Okanagan Valley, $25.
Rodney Strong 2018 Chalk Hill Chardonnay, Sonoma County, Calif., $29.99.
CedarCreek 2020 Jagged Rock Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, $40.
Unsworth Vineyards 2020 Chardonnay Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, $27.99.
Zuccardi Q 2020 Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina, $24.99.
Beautiful blends
When it comes to grapes, many claim blended wines can reach the ultimate level of sophistication because the whole is better than the sum of the parts. Here’s a look at some of the most intriguing blends in the room:
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Arcanum 2019 Il Fauno, Tuscany, Italy, $42.99.
Burrowing Owl 2018 Athene, Okanagan Valley, $40.
Bodegas Castano 2018 Santa, Yecla, Spain, $39.99.
Culmina Family Estate Hypothesis 2016, Okanagan Valley, $46.
L’Orme de Rauzan Gassies 2016, Haut Medoc, Bordeaux, France, $47.99.
Osoyoos Larose 2018 Le Grand Vin, Okanagan Valley, $53.99.
The Hermit 2019, Okanagan Valley, $30.
Tolaini 2018 Valdisanti, Tuscany, Italy, $49.99.
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Source: vancouversun.com