By The Glass
November 23, 2013
The wine festival this year at Exploration Place was yet another huge success. It was nice seeing everyone there enjoying a great night of wine tasting. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into planning such an event and kudos to everyone who helped it be what it is and more. The winning, or favorite, white of the night is the one I have chosen to share with those of you who might not have had the chance to try it. Nollen Notorious Riesling is from Germany and it a great example of what a Mosel Riesling should taste like. I have featured this white before, but not this vintage. Unfortunately, the winning red Church & State Syrah is not available to us, so therefore I can't share it with you - it's only available directly from the winery. Nice though that out of all those ones to try from many different countries that a B.C. VQA won overall in the red category. I can though share a red wine from B.C. that you can try, the Perseus Merlot. For the month of December we will be featuring more B.C. VQA wines and many are for only a limited time, but enough time that hopefully you will get a chance to experience what BC wines have to offer. The final feature is a sparkling Moscato from exotic Brazil - all I can say is yummy !! It may seem like I have a theme going here with featuring sparkling wines, but honest there isn't, even though I am not complaining.
NOLLEN NOTORIOUS ROOSTER
RIESLING 2012 (426536)
GERMANY
$13.98
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region is home to the best Rieslings from Germany. It just seems fitting then that this varietal is the most planted varietal in Germany. When you think of the surroundings where the vineyards are planted the hills are very steep, therefore hand harvesting is the only option. I don't think German wines really get the exposure they deserve. The problem started long ago when Germany started producing wines. The wines they were producing were not meant to be enjoyed with specific food but rather for any family get together or any other social event. Pairings for food never came to mind when producing wines in Germany since most families would consume beer with dinner, and if by chance they wanted wine they would pick a bottle from France usually. A lot has changed since then and Germany is known for making some extremely good quality wines now. Nollen Riesling is everything a classic Mosel Riesling should be. It's just right in every way I think with its hugely aromatic aromas of grapefruit and white flowers, while in your mouth, there are loads of fresh fruit flavours of apples and ripe pears. I recommend this aromatic off-dry white just by itself to enjoy what it has to offer. Now I know why it was the crowd pleaser and at $13.98 you can't beat the price.
PERSEUS
MERLOT 2011 (127068)
BC VQA
$19.99
Any of you who remember their mythology classes know the name Perseus comes from the Greek warrior of mighty power. Perseus seemed fitting for this winery I guess, and the rest is history. Perseus is located in beautiful Penticton and the winery has a tasting room which was once a house that was built in the 1950's. They have since renovated it and the view from the huge windows overlooking the Lower Bench vineyards is gorgeous. Not only does Perseus grow their own grapes, they also source them from two other vineyards - one in Keremeos and the other in the Similkameen Valley, The Blind Creek vienyard in Keremeos is where they source the grapes for their many red. Like most growers and producers "terroir terroir terroir" is what they are aiming for in their wines. Take what the surroundings give and make something which is incredible and expressive of the area it's intended for. CEO & President Rob Ingram takes pride in knowing all the ins and outs of what it takes to run a successful winery. The winemaker behind all the labels is pretty important too and that is Matt Dumayne. Matt has many years of experience with winemaking, whether it be from his homeland of New Zealand or Australia, Oregon or even California. Matt is producing award winning wines again and again showcasing what BC has to offer. Perseus Merlot is full of dark ripe fruit aromas and flavors like blackberry, black cherries and hints of cassis. I did get the oak or woodsy taste on the lengthy finish. There are tannins on this medium bodied red, but enough to make the structure complete. This red would stand up and hold its own against a big grilled steak for sure. $19.99
TERRA ANDINA
SPARKLING MOSCATO (303271)
BRAZIL
$15.99
Brazil has come out with a sparkling Moscato you're going to want to share with all your friends. Terra Andina's wines are meant to be "shared and enjoyed-not collected". I agree 100%. I know Al featured the Terra Andina red in one of his more recent articles. There are three countries behind this brand and label, Argentina, Chile and now Brazil. With Brazil being so close to the equator r most of its land is unsuitable for producing vines. It's not until you head to the southern part of Brazil and closer to Argentina that you move away from the heat and humidity into a much more cooler climate that borders the Sao Francisco River. As you would expect, the land is very fertile and perfect for growing vines, as well as many of their vegetables and fruits. All of the wines produced by Terra Andina are meant to express the richness, fun and culture of what you would expect from a wine grown in South America. This Moscato is produced in Vale do Sao Francisco region by the Rio Grande do Sul, better known as Brazil's wine production region. Just hold the bottle and twist off the cork on this great sparkling Moscato. Once in your glass the bubbles are dancing and the ripe tropical fruits really shine through. Once you take that first sip you get loads of fruit flavours and hints of floral notes. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or just celebrating because, why not chose this one? It is on the sweeter side for sure, but I find it perfectly balanced. For $15.99 you can have a little piece of Brazil.
Kim Cabral Product Consultant
BC Liquor Store #174,
3173 Massey Drive
Prince George BC, V2N-2S9
Phone: 250- 561- 5608 Fax: 250- 561- 5609 [email protected]
