Welcome to the inaugural BC Wine Institute (BCWI) stakeholder e-newsletter. It’s an exciting time for BC VQA Wines and we’re proud to share our success and industry insights with key players such as yourself.

Since stepping into the Executive Director role in October, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with member wineries, BC VQA wine store owners, grapegrowers, and government officials, along with many other partners and am consistently amazed at the passion and dedication there is for our industry. I’ve also had the chance to speak with consumers, whose actions speak louder than words, with December BC VQA wine store sales the highest in the history of our organization.

I look forward to continuing the conversation and invite you to contact me directly at mprodan@winebc.com.

Cheers,
Miles Prodan

What an amazing couple of years it has been for the VQA Wines of British Columbia. Over the past four years, sales of BC VQA wine have increased by over $40 million and we continue to see double-digit increases. BC VQA wines continue to be the best-selling premium wine category in BC, accounting for 20 per cent of the overall market share, thanks in great part to ambassadors like yourselves.

This year we are excited to share our industry insight with you and truly open the lines of communication to further the BC VQA brand in our province and beyond. Thank you for your consistent support for the Wines of BC. We look forward to seeing you at our spring events!

Feel free to contact me anytime at lkelm@winebc.com.

Cheers,
Lindsay Kelm

BCWI Executive Director Miles Prodan announced in February that Maggie Anderson has been appointed as the Institute’s new Marketing Director. She will be responsible for branding, positioning and marketing the Wines of BC (BC VQA) brand, executing BCWI events and sponsorships, and working on BC VQA wine store marketing, among other projects.

Anderson brings more than 10 years of marketing experience to her new role. Most recently, she held the position of Marketing Manager for B.C. Tree Fruits, where she was responsible for a successful re-brand and building consumer loyalty to the B.C. Tree Fruits brand. She also brings extensive agri-tourism experience, and has held positions at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery and Palandri Wines (Australia).

Prodan says he is thrilled to welcome Anderson to the BCWI team. “Maggie’s knowledge of the agri-tourism industry, combined with her proven marketing experience make her the ideal candidate for this position and we are excited to continue growing the BC VQA brand”. She began her work with BCWI on Feb. 28.

With the addition of new Marketing Director Maggie Anderson, the BCWI team now consists of six staff, working to carry out the Institute’s policies and programs.

• Miles Prodan (Executive Director)
• Maggie Anderson (Marketing Director)
• Ryan Carachelo (Finance Manager)
• Traci Deman (Executive Assistant)
• Lindsay Kelm (Communications Manager)
• Jeana Hamilton (BC VQA Retail Consultant)

BCWI has its offices at 107 – 1726 Dolphin Avenue, Kelowna, BC V1Y 9R9.
Tel: 250-762-9744/1-800-661-2294. Fax: 250-762-9788.
General email: info@winebc.com.
Website: www.winebc.com. Twitter: @winebcdotcom

BCWI announced recently that it has welcomed two new members to its Board of Directors. Jay Drysdale, of La Stella Winery and Greg Berti, of Andrew Peller Limited, have been appointed to the Board.

Drysdale replaces former director Lawrence Herder as the small winery representative on the Board and Berti replaces Scott Fraser as the large winery representative.

The Board of Directors now consists of:

• Josie Tyabji, Chair (Vincor Canada)
• Mike Raffan, Vice-Chair (Township & Vineyards & Winery)
• Greg Berti (Andrew Peller Ltd.)
• Jay Drysdale (La Stella Winery)
• Ingo Grady (Mission Hill Family Estate Winery)
• Pam Luckhurst (Road 13 Vineyards)
• Chris Wyse (Burrowing Owl Vineyards)
• Rod King, Ex-Officio Director (B.C. Grapegrowers’ Association, King Family Farms)

The BCWI invites you to keep in touch with events and developments in the wine industry and the BC VQA world by connecting with them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/winebcdotcom.

 WINERIES OVERCOME THE 2010 CHALLENGE:

– DESPITE A COOL, WET YEAR THEY PRODUCED A TOP-QUALITY VINTAGE

The clouds that floated over Okanagan vineyards in 2010 had a silver lining.

While the valley’s 2010 grapegrowing season was moderately cooler, wetter and later than usual – reducing the yield in most areas – winemakers and vineyard managers say the 2010 vintage will prove to be one of the best ever.

At the BC Wine Institute’s 4th Annual Winemakers & Viticulturalists’ Forum, 25 of the industry’s front-line experts agreed that 2010 produced one of the highest-quality grape crops they’ve ever seen.

At the December 1 meeting, the winemakers and vineyard managers said that, despite the weather challenges, the most critical features of the 2010 grapes – such as pH, acid and sugar levels – were well above average quality.

“I think it’s going to be an exceptional vintage – really outstanding,” one winemaker told the Forum, which was held at Burrowing Owl Vineyards.

Another said, “For those who did things right, in terms of pH balances and the other factors, this is one of the best vintages ever.”

Eric von Krosigk, winemaker at Summerhill Pyramid Organic Winery, noted, “For us, it was a fantastic vintage – a bit less (yield) than normal, but excellent quality. The acids were just perfect.”

Most agreed that the weather forced winemakers and vineyard managers to be on top of their game throughout 2010, being vigilant to test the grapes, thin the vines, watch for disease and take any other actions needed to maintain a high quality.

The BCWI hosts the Forum each year to gather vital information about that year’s vintage and to give viticulturalists a chance to network and compare notes on a variety of industry issues.

It was noted at this year’s Forum that the 2010 grape crop had one strike against it before it even got started. A couple of early frosts in November 2009 did a bit of damage to plants in some vineyards. Then, with spring 2010 being “wet”, “cold” and even “nasty” according to Forum participants, the growing season began anywhere from one to three weeks late.

“Our bud-burst was two-and-a-half weeks late,” noted Black Hills Estate Winery President Glenn Fawcett.

The continued cooler-than-usual weather through the summer, combined with more rain in September, led to the thinning of plants in a large number of vineyards to ensure quality in the remaining crop. As well, some vineyard managers and winemakers thinned out where they had discovered a bit of disease – notably botrytis.

BC Grapegrowers' Association President Manfred Freese said some vineyard managers thinned out about 20 per cent of their crop in late-August, adding, “The excessive moisture caused more rot than usual” in 2010.

All this led to a late, lighter-than-average harvest in the fall, lasting into November for some wineries.

“Our crush was down 30 per cent from usual, and our harvest was two weeks late,” one Oliver-area vineyard manager reported. Another winery official said their South Okanagan vineyard yielded 3.5 tons per acre – “much lower than normal”.

One veteran vineyard consultant noted that many grape crops throughout the valley were as much as three weeks late.

But almost everyone at the Forum said the silver lining for 2010 was the outstanding quality. Stefan Arnason, winemaker at Poplar Grover Winery, said their grape crop was “very light but very good”. Tinhorn Creek vineyard manager Andrew Moon said the sugars and alcohol level in the 2010 crop are excellent, and the vintage is showing “sensational fruit quality”. Severine Pinte-Kosaka, viticulturalist at Le Vieux Pin Winery, said all the wines show “a nice flavour”, with a particular quality in 2010 of not being harsh. Fairview Cellars winery owner Bill Eggert summed up the 2010 vintage: “It’s pretty damn good wine.”

Rod King, of King Family Farms, told Forum participants that the challenging weather of 2010 should teach something to everyone in the grapegrowing business: “The lesson is to have faith, the vines will pull through.”

After 20 years of existence, BC’s Vintners’ Quality Alliance (VQA) program is proving itself to be a hit more and more each year – with sales of BC VQA wines growing at a tremendous rate. The latest figures show that total sales for calendar year 2010 were up 12.6 per cent over 2009. BC VQA sales volume totalled 8.5 million litres in 2010, for total sales of $196 million.

Sales in the month of December 2010 were up by 3.6 per cent over the same month in 2009 – and sales in the month of November 2010 were up by 18.1 per cent over the same month in the previous year!

Given those figures, it’s no surprise that sales at the 20 BC VQA Wine Stores continue to show great gains. Total sales in the stores in January 2011 were up 10 per cent over January 2010, up 11 per cent in December 2010 over December 2009, and up by a whopping 21 per cent in November 2010 over November 2009!

The Summer Okanagan Wine Festival will be bigger and better in 2011. Organizers say it has outgrown its former weekend-long format and starting this year it will expand to nine days, in a format similar to the current highly popular Spring and Fall Okanagan Wine Festivals.

The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society announced recently that the summer festival, formerly held over a weekend at Silver Star Resort, will take place July 8-16 this year and will become a valley-wide event.

The Society’s research shows support from wineries, hotels and restaurants for the expanded festival. It has invited its 100 member wineries to develop fun events, and it is expected that wineries, resorts, restaurants and other facilities throughout the Okanagan will host many special events as part of the newly expanded wine festival.

One of the early events will be a July 9 wine tasting at Kelowna’s Rotary Centre for the Arts. The Kelowna Capital News reports that other Festival Society-sponsored events being organized include a July 10 after-party and wine tasting in Penticton following the major Granfondo cycling event, a July 15 beach party with the Dairy Farmers of Canada at the Watermark Beach Resort in Osoyoos, and a July 17 outdoor event in Vernon’s Poulson Park.

www.thewinefestivals.com/summerfestival.htm

An iconic symbol of the Okanagan’s wine industry was celebrated on Dec. 11 when Mission Hill Family Estate Winery held a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of its bell tower and four huge bells.

A number of special events were held at the winery and proprietor Anthony Von Mandl spoke about his vision for his winery and the industry, and the significance of the bells. The special day included Icewine tastings, bottle signings by Chief Winemaker John Simes, pastry decorating by Chef Matthew Batey, ice carving, carolers, handbell ringers, and architectural tours of the impressive West Kelowna winery.

With bells being part of his early life as a boy in Europe, Von Mandl said bells represent a special sense of time and place, bringing people together, striking a celebratory note, and providing a natural rhythm and a sense of order. With the Mission Hill bells, he wanted to bring that cadence to the Okanagan and share it with its people.

The 12-storey bell tower and four bronze bells – cast by the historic Paccard Bell Foundry in France – began operation on Dec. 10, 2000. Each bell is dedicated to a member of Von Mandl’s family, and range in size from 380 lbs to 1,164 lbs.

In his remarks, Von Mandl said over the past 10 years, the bells have been heralded worldwide and the Okanagan wine industry has been transformed.

“Thirty years ago a lot of people thought I was crazy when I gave a speech and predicted that BC wines could become some of the best in the world. Two decades later, they thought I was crazy because of my bell tower. Now, the bells stand as a monument to the art, timelessness and passion of winemaking and serve as a symbol for the advancement of the Okanagan wine industry.”

www.missionhillwinery.com

A number of Okanagan wines were featured as an important part of what was arguably Canada’s top culinary event, held recently in Kelowna. The city hosted the Canadian Culinary Championships Feb. 18-19, with eight of the country’s top chefs competing for honours.

In the end, in front of a cheering crowd of 600, the gold medal went to Martin Juneau from Montreal’s Newtown Restaurant. Jeremy Charles, from Raymond’s in Saint John’s, won silver and Robert Clark, from Vancouver’s C Restaurant, took bronze.

The two-day event began with a Friday evening Mystery Wine Pairing at the Hotel Eldorado, where chefs prepared dishes they felt suited a mystery bottle of wine they had been given – La Stella Winery’s Fortissimo 2008, Okanagan (Osoyoos) – which has been described as BC’s version of a Super Tuscan, mostly Merlot and Cabernet but with slightly less than 10 per cent Sangiovese Grosso, aged in Slavonian oak. The chefs had $500 to shop for ingredients to provide small dishes for more than 300.

The competition’s grand finale at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort saw the eight chefs competing in a slam-down competition, with dishes partnered with their chosen wineries, which included three from the Thompson Okanagan region, from Road 13 Vineyards (Oliver), Black Hills Estate Winery (Oliver) and Tantalus Vineyards (Kelowna).

Profits from the national championship, sponsored by the Gold Medal Plates organization, go to support Canada’s Olympic & Paralympic athletes. Since 2004, it has generated $5 million for the Canadian Olympic Foundation. A number of Olympians and Paralympians attended the Culinary Championships – and the finale was called “the hottest ticket in town”.

Gold Medal Plates co-founder Stephen Leckie said the organization was so impressed with how well Kelowna sponsored the national competition that it will be held in that city for the next five years.

www.goldmedalplates.com

Industry pressure and a growing grassroots movement are building across the country for changes to a 1928 law which currently makes it illegal for Canadians to buy wine directly from wineries outside of their own province.

In recent months, letter-writing campaigns have lobbied federal and provincial governments and a web-based campaign has developed around the website www.freemygrapes.ca. In late November, Kelowna-Lake Country MP Ron Cannan tabled a private member’s bill in the House of Commons to amend what he calls the archaic “Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act (1928)” by giving Canadians a personal exemption to let them buy directly from wineries.

The 83-year-old law says wine must go through a province’s liquor authority before it can be purchased. It also makes it illegal for wineries to ship their products directly to customers outside BC. Yet, under the current system, it can take up to four months to get a bottle shipped from one province to another.

Cannan says a number of factors – including the growth of online shopping and the limited space on liquor store shelves – mean it’s time to allow Canadians to purchase directly from wineries.

The MP notes that a number of wineries and associations, including the BCWI, the Canadian Vintners Association and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, support the proposed change. And he says he is working with Treasury Board President Stockwell Day and Agriculture & Agri-Food Minister Gerry Ritz on the issue.

The BC Wine Institute has not only lent its moral support to Cannan’s cause, but on Jan. 19 BCWI Board Chair Josie Tyabji attended a Kamloops roundtable meeting of the national Red Tape Reduction Commission, chaired by Rob Moore, federal Minister of State for Small Business & Tourism.

She is hopeful that all the efforts may result in changes to the legislation. At the roundtable, Tyabji explained the restrictions caused by the current law. She noted that these arguments will be included in the Red Tape Reduction Commission’s final report. The Commission is expected to make its recommendations to Treasury Board President Stockwell Day in May.

“We encourage anyone in the wine industry or any consumers that know of people who have experienced these types of (interprovincial wine purchasing) frustrations, to put forth their recommendations to this Red Tape Commission,” Tyabji said. (www.reduceredtape.gc.ca)

Cannan says the change would be a win-win for the Okanagan’s high-quality, award-winning wineries and for Canadian consumers. He notes the change would:

• Give consumers wider choice and access to more Canadian wine products.
• Give wineries direct relationships with their customers, to build consumer loyalty.
• Give provincial governments their provincial sales tax, at point of sale.
• Boost wine tourism by giving consumers more exposure to products from Canada’s wine-producing areas.
• Allow the Canadian wine industry to compete more effectively against international competition.

In a Feb. 27 story in the Vancouver Sun, Cannan said the process to change the law is slow, “but we are moving forward.” He said Minister Ritz met in February with provincial agriculture ministers to discuss ways to break down interprovincial trade barriers.

Organizers report that the 13th Annual Winter Festival of Wine, held at Sun Peaks Resort again this year, was a huge hit, with no fewer than six of the events being sold out and another four being near sell-outs.

The Wine Festival, sponsored by Sun Peaks and the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society, took place Jan. 15-23, offering those who love both wine and winter recreation a truly unique wine festival.

Sun Peaks states in a news release that the sold-out events took place over the second half of the festival and included the signature event of the week, the Sun Peaks WestJet Progressive Tasting. Tickets for the Progressive became a hot commodity after selling out five days before the Friday evening event. More than 660 people enjoyed wine varietals from 24 Okanagan wineries that were set up in hotel lobbies throughout the alpine village.

The Medal Winners Tasting, Delta Winemasters’ Dinner, All You Need is Cheese & Wine, Wine Mixology & Small Bites and Mixology to Music also sold out this year.

New events this year helped draw additional ticket sales for the festival, with 350 more event tickets sold this year over the 2010 festival. The Port & Cheese: After the Après Social was new this year and was almost a sell-out event.

www.sunpeaksresort.com/media-centre/article.aspx?newsId=6328

The federal government announced in late 2010 it will provide $479,000 to wine producers to help improve production safety standards and increase international marketing.

In a ceremony at Penticton’s Red Rooster Winery, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said the government will give two grants to the Canadian Vintners Association (CVA):

• $266,000 through the Canadian Integrated Food Safety Initiative (CIFSI) to upgrade CVA’s Hazard Analysis food safety materials.
• $213,000 through the AgriMarketing Program to help CVA and its members implement their long-term international marketing strategy.

Ritz said the goal is to help CVA and vintners develop new international market opportunities for Canada’s top quality wines – “spreading the word about the variety of premium, high-quality wines that Canada has to offer.”

CVA President Dan Paszkowski says the federal help with quality assurance and international marketing is vital. “We have an exciting story to tell the world.” In 2009, Canadian producers exported more than 10.7 million litres of wine, with 90 per cent of that – 9.7 million litres – going to the United States.

www.canadianvintners.com

Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate won the prestigious ‘Best Canadian Wine Producer’ title at the annual International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC), held Nov. 17 in London, England.

The IWSC is considered to be one of the world’s premier competitions of its kind, promoting the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs.

Brooke Blair and Derek Kontkanen, Jackson-Triggs' winemakers for reds and whites, respectively, attended the awards ceremony to accept the honours for the Oliver-based winery.

Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate won a total of 19 awards at IWSC this year, including two trophies: the Merlot Trophy for its Proprietors' Grand Reserve Merlot 2007 and the Dessert Wine Trophy for its Proprietors' Grand Reserve Riesling Icewine 2007.

Jackson-Triggs has won the Best Canadian Winery title an unprecedented 21 times in global wine competitions, seven of which were at IWSC – a feat not matched by any other winery.

Kontkanen says, “This is the ultimate recognition and win.” Blair adds that the IWSC award is “the pinnacle”.

IWSC entrants are evaluated in a rigorous two-stage judging process that includes professional blind tasting and detailed technical analysis.

This year, the IWSC received entries from wineries in more than 80 countries. Each year more than 500 of the who’s who of the global wine and spirit trade gather at the IWSC Banquet and Presentations event to honour their peers. The national trophies along with all international trophies were awarded during the banquet.

www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2010/22/c4897.html
www.jacksontriggswinery.com

Tourism Westside recently announced it is continuing with further development of the increasingly high-profile Westside Wine Trail program. The initiative now has a newly developed logo, a website and a Facebook page.

Creation of the Westside Wine Trail began in the summer of 2010 and has been a collaboration by Tourism Westside and all nine West Kelowna wineries. Organizers say it has been an enjoyable process to determine the wine trail name, route, personality and look.

The new website notes that the Westside Wine Trail is located 'Where Rural and Sophistication Meet'. It adds that the Trail is quintessential Okanagan – with rolling hills of vineyards, scenic lake views, and leisurely rural roads.

The participating wineries are: Kalala Organic Estate Winery, Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, Quails’ Gate Estate Winery, Volcanic Hills Estate Winery, Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery, Beaumont Family Estate Winery, Little Straw Vineyards, Rollingdale Winery and Meadow Vista Honey Wines.

People are invited to check out the new website (www.thewestsidewinetrail.com) and to become a "fan” on Facebook.

Rollingdale Winery, of West Kelowna, has won top honours from the Organic Wine Review. It has been named “Best Organic Winery of the Year (2010)” by the review publication.

Rollingdale was the only Canadian Winery nominated. The four runners-up in the category were all American wineries, three from California and one from Oregon.

Rollingdale Winery was founded and is owned by the husband & wife team of Steve and Kirsty Dale.

In making its announcement, the Organic Wine Review says about Rollingdale:

“Their focus is on producing fine wines using only premium grapes made from the most conscientiously cultivated vines they can find.

“The winery makes Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon – but where they really shine is their Icewines, including both a Pinot Gris and a very unusual Pinot Noir Icewine.”

www.organicwinereview.com/ best-organic-winery-of-the-year-2010

Harking back to the historic relationship between love, champagne and chocolate, Township 7 Vineyards & Winery hosted a unique Valentine’s event at its Langley, BC location on Feb. 12.

The winery put on its fifth annual ‘Taste the Stars Valentine’s Celebration’ – releasing the limited production Seven Stars Sparkling Wine, and holding a number of special events including seminars on méthode champenoise winemaking, sabering champagne, chocolate making, truffle rolling, talks on wine/food pairing, notably seafood/wine pairing. The winery partnered with White Rock’s Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut store for the chocolate part of the day’s program.

Township 7 winemaker Bradley Cooper and proprietor Mike Raffan officiated at the entertaining and informative event. Some of the proceeds are being donated to the BC Chapter of the Starlight Children’s Foundation.

Raffan says the Township 7 team was pleased to discover that its Langley vineyards grow the ideal grapes for sparkling wine. “Similar to the traditional process in Champagne, the Fraser Valley terroir produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes with low brix and high acidity, the perfect combination for our Seven Stars Sparkling Wine,” he says.

Founded in 2001, Township 7 produces acclaimed handcrafted wines at its facilities in Langley and on the Naramata Bench in Penticton.

www.township7.com

Nichol Vineyard, a small Naramata winery, made a big splash Feb. 4 at one of the largest “wine and foodie” parties in Vancouver.

The winery was singled out as the “unsung hero” in a new feature at the ‘Big Night’, an event hosted each year by Vancouver Magazine.

Each year at the Big Night, the Best-in-Category wines from Vancouver Magazine’s Wine Awards are paired with winning restaurants from their Restaurant Awards for an evening of food and wine at the prestigious Vancouver Club. The event features the who’s who of Vancouver’s vibrant culinary scene.

This year the Big Night events included having Vancouver Magazine’s Sommelier of the Year, Kurtis Kolt, reveal his favourite “unsung hero” wine from this year’s competition – and it turned out to be Nichol Vineyard’s 9 Mile Red, a St. Laurent/Pinot Noir blend.

Nichol Vineyard has operated in Naramata using 100% Naramata Village fruit since 1993. Owner and winemaker Ross Hackworth’s focus is to maintain a small estate winery, striving to grow world-class wines.

Kolt says of the Nichol wine: “It is a fantastic example of how far BC has come. It’s cheery and accessible for the novice, yet serious and complex enough for the academic.”

Hackworth says the attention is a bit overwhelming. “I am used to being in the vineyard and cellar, not the centre of attention for a huge food and wine event – but I am thrilled that we have been singled out and that more people will learn of what we are doing at Nichol as a result.”

www.nicholvineyard.com

Media reports state that purchases are now beginning to go through for some of the seven wineries in the Holman Lang Wineries Ltd. group, which has been in receivership since last November. Receiver for sales of the properties is Wolrige Mahon Ltd.

An application to BC Supreme Court was approved on Feb. 18 confirming sale of Lang Vineyards to Mr. Yong Wang, for a reported price of just under $2.2 million. Lang was one of two farmgate wineries that opened in 1990 on the Naramata Bench.

Earlier in February, the court also approved the sale of Stonehill Estate Winery, in Penticton, for $1.5 million, a last-minute bid that topped an earlier $1.3-million offer from Banbury Holdings Ltd. of North Vancouver.

The new owners of Stonehill Estate Winery are Wayne and Margareta Nystrom, of Penticton, and Gavin and Shana Miller, of Naramata. Nystrom is a former partner in a pulp and paper consulting company and a former paper company CEO. Miller has more than a decade in BC’s wine industry, worked at Poplar Grove Winery, and is the former winemaker at Painted Rock Estate Winery.

Stonehill opened in 2001 as Benchland Vineyards, changing its name after Keith Holman took it over in 2004, at the same time as he was developing the nearby Mistral Vineyards.

According to wine writer John Schreiner, no purchase offers have yet been announced for Mistral Estate Winery, Soaring Eagle Estate Winery, Zero Balance Vineyards, and K Mountain Vineyards (Keremeos), the other Holman Lang properties in receivership.

Although the purchase prices for Lang and Stonehill were below the prices advertised in recent years, the receiver notes that, thanks to current competition for the properties, the purchase prices now being received are above current appraised values for the properties.

One of the world’s most influential wine critics admits that even though he has heard good things about Canadian wines, he is just now beginning to explore them and include them in his well-read reviews. But now that he has, he’s very impressed – particularly with the red blends from Okanagan Valley!

Veteran journalist and wine critic James Suckling, former senior editor of Wine Spectator, now produces his own website – www.jamessuckling.com – and has been named wine editor for the major Asia Tatler magazine. He focuses entirely on outstanding quality wines from around the world and generally doesn’t publish notes on wines with scores under 90 points.

Suckling recently did a blind tasting of about 100 wines from close to 50 of Canada’s best wineries, and issued a detailed report in late February. Of the 40 wines that he scored at 90 points or higher, 16 hailed from Okanagan wineries.

Suckling says the best winery of all the Canadian establishments submitting wines was the Okanagan’s Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, and the best wine was their 2007 Oculus, a Bordeaux blend that earned the top score of 95 points.

“This is incredible. Powerful and rich, with loads of fruit yet fresh and racy,” Suckling says. “Blueberries and currants with toasted oak. Full and incredibly balanced. Polished and beautiful. This is a like a California cult wine. It was clearly the best wine of my tasting.”

Suckling says he was surprised at how good the Canadian wines were. “I found almost half of the wines to be outstanding quality. That’s very impressive. I am definitely traveling to the vineyard areas in the spring ... Mission Hill Family Estate Winery is first on my visit list for Canadian wine country.” He adds, “These wines seem more European than New World in style, with a balance of bright fruits and fresh acidities. I am fascinated.”

The other BC wines that made it onto Suckling’s Top-40 rankings are:

• Township 7 Winery & Vineyard – Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (93 points)
• Tantalus Vineyards – Riesling 2009 (92 points)
• Mission Hill Family Estate Winery – Reserve Shiraz 2007 (92 points)
• Mission Hill Family Estate Winery – Cabernet/Merlot Five Vineyards Bordeaux blend 2008 (92 points)
• Township 7 Winery & Vineyard – Merlot 2007 (92 points)
• Tinhorn Creek Vineyards – Cabernet Franc 2008 (92 points)
• Quails’ Gate Estate Winery – Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay 2008 (91 points)
• Quails’ Gate Estate Winery – Chenin Blanc 2009 (91 points)
• Road 13 Vineyards – Rockpile 2008 (91 points)
• Laughing Stock Vineyards – Portfolio 2007 (91 points)
• Laughing Stock Vineyards – Blind Trust 2008 (91 points)
• Quails’ Gate Estate Winery – Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir 2008 (91 points)
• Mission Hill Family Estate Winery – Perpetua blend 2008 (90 points)
• Blasted Church Vineyards – Hatfield’s Fuse blend 2009 (90 points)
• Mission Hill Family Estate Winery – Pinot Noir 2007 (90 points)

Noted Vancouver-based music, food and wine writer Jurgen Gothe writes that the results of the latest BC Wine Awards prove that this province can produce excellent red wines.

In the Dec. 14 edition of his column “Uncorked” in the Georgia Straight, Gothe notes that 16 of the Awards’ gold medals and 50 of the silvers went to BC red wines. In the column, he provides a roundup of some of the best red wines in the province. Gothe’s list includes:

• 8th Generation Vineyard Pinot Noir (2008)
• Burrowing Owl Vineyards Athene (2008)
• Desert Hills Estate Winery Syrah Select (2007)
• Ex Nihilo Vineyards Merlot (2006)
• Herder Winery & Vineyards Meritage (2008)
• La Frenz Shiraz (2008)
• La Frenz Reserve Pinot Noir (2008)
• Orofino Petit Verdot (2008)
• Orofino Beleza (2008)
• Painted Rock Estate Winery Red Icon (2007)
• Seven Stones Row 128 Merlot (2008)
• Seven Stones The Legend (2008)
• Stoneboat Vineyards Pinotage Solo (2008)
• Tinhorn Creek Vineyards Oldfield Series Syrah (2007)
• Twisted Tree Tempranillo (2008)
• Van Westen Vineyards Voluptuous (2007)
• Van Westen Vineyards Vivre la Vie (2007)
• Young & Wyse Collection “33•30•24•13” (2009)

www.straight.com/article-364252/vancouver/time-round-years-best-domestic-reds

NEW BC VQA WINE STORE OPENS IN COURTENAY

In December, Courtenay councillors approved zoning changes to pave the way for the opening of a BC VQA specialty wine store in that Vancouver Island city. Operating as 'Courtenay BC VQA Wine Store', the new BC VQA wine store is located in the Anfield Centre big-box mall area. Opened on March 1, the store showcases wines from BC VQA wineries and vineyards throughout the province. The Courtenay store, owned by Cindy Holland, is the only BC VQA wine store on Vancouver Island outside of Victoria.

www.courtenayvqawines.com

BC WINE MUSEUM &  VQA WINE SHOP

A complimentary wine event called Saturday Tastings was launched recently by the BC Wine Museums' VQA Wine Shop, set in the historic Laurel Packinghouse in downtown Kelowna. A different winery is featured each week from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the event, allowing consumers to sample the wines and ask questions about them. To date, featured wineries have included Kalala Organic Estate Winery, Desert Hills Estate Winery, Volcanic Hills Estate Winery and Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery.

www.bcvqawine.ca

TINHORN CREEK’S SANDRA OLDFIELD
– Starting her 17th season in the South Okanagan

Trust Sandra Oldfield to be able to lend some perspective to the analysis of the 2010 grapegrowing season that took place at BCWI’s recent Annual Winemakers & Viticulturalists’ Forum. After all, the Tinhorn Creek Vineyards co-owner, director of operations and winemaker is entering her 17th year in the Okanagan wine industry and she definitely qualifies as a veteran.

When talk at the Forum turned to how cool and rainy 2010 had been, Oldfield noted that conditions were just returning to the volatile weather patterns of the entire decade of the 1990s. “Many people don’t realize how good we’ve had it since 2000,” she said, compared to the fluctuating temperatures of the ’90s.

By the end of that decade, things got extreme. Oldfield noted that 1998 was the hottest summer of the 20th century in the Okanagan, and the next year, 1999, was the coldest.

While 2000 through 2009 were fairly regular years, without the wildly high and low temperatures, Oldfield acknowledges that the cool, wet conditions of 2010 were a challenge for viticulturalists. Like other grapegrowing operations, Tinhorn Creek had one of its longest and latest harvests ever – taking nearly eight weeks and not ending until Oct. 28.

But sometimes it pays to not only be good, but also lucky. Sandra, along with her husband and business partner Kenn Oldfield, and vineyard manager Andrew Moon, picked 2010 as the year to do a major reworking of the pruning practices on their 130 acres of vines. The move necessitated a major one-year reduction in their crop yield.

“This was the perfect year in which to have a low crop,” Sandra said recently. And, to boot, she adds, “We ended up with pretty awesome wine” – with this year’s standout likely being the Pinot Gris.

Oldfield has been a busy presence on the Okanagan wine scene since moving here from California just ahead of the 1995 crush. She had studied enology at the University of California (Davis) and gained early wine experience at Rodney Strong Vineyards in Sonoma. She earned her master’s degree in enology from UC Davis in 2002.

Since moving to Oliver in ’95, Oldfield has taken Tinhorn Creek’s production from 1,000 cases to more than 35,000 cases, and lately she has focused on developing the Oldfield Series, a premium line of wines created from their vineyards’ best fruit.

Yet another recent project has been the creation of a restaurant at Tinhorn Creek. ‘Miradoro’ (meaning ‘golden view’ in Portuguese) will open April 1. Under the watchful eye of Manuel Ferreira (of Vancouver’s well-known Le Gavroche restaurant), Miradoro will serve market cuisine in a relaxed fine dining atmosphere. It will seat 65 people inside with a 65-seat patio offering scenic views of the South Okanagan Valley. Executive Chef will be Jeff Van Geest and General Manager/Sommelier will be Justin McAuliffe. Plans call for Miradoro to operate 10 months per year, March through December.

www.tinhorn.com

STONEY PARADISE ORGANIC CASCADE TOMATO & PANCETTA RISOTTO

– from Chef/Sommelier Mark Filatow, Kelowna’s Waterfront Restaurant & Wine Bar 

A  little heartier, and packed full of preserved summer bounty, the Risotto bursts of flavours from our housemade Pancetta and self-dried Cascade Tomatoes.
This dish can be a light lunch or a meal in itself. Feel free to add some Chorizo, Chicken or Prawns. Great with a local Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir or a rich local Chardonnay.

300 g of risotto rice (Super Fino Carnaroli or Aborio)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion diced
1 Tbsp of chopped garlic
60 g pancetta diced
100 g semi dried cascade tomatoes cut into a large dice
(or soak 50 g sundried tomatoes in hot water for 1 hr. Then drain off the liquid and cut into a medium dice)
1 litre or so of good quality chicken stock
1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
2 Tbsp butter
60 g grated grana padano (parmesan cheese)

This dish is best prepared right before you eat it!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time approx.: 20 minutes

• In a pot large enough to hold the chicken stock, heat the stock to a simmer and keep hot.
• In a large pot on medium heat, add olive oil.
• Add pancetta and cook until golden brown, remove pancetta from pan and reserve.
• Add onion, garlic, cook until onions are translucent.
• Add rice and stir for 1 minute.
• Add enough stock to just cover the rice. Stir lightly with a wooden spoon. As the stock is absorbed and you feel it starting to stick, add another ladle or so of stock. Stir and keep on adding a little stock at a time until the rice has just a little bite left to it.
• Add the reserved pancetta, tomatoes, butter, grana padano and tarragon.
• Check for seasoning, adjust with salt and pepper if necessary.

Bon Appétit!

VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL
*Note: BCWI Events at the Festival
March 28-April 3, 2011 – Various locations in Vancouver

The BCWI is again playing a major role in this year’s Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, sponsoring both a booth at the Festival and a gourmet lunch event! Details include:

• “Drink Local, Eat Local with the Wines of British Columbia”. Everyone is invited to visit the BCWI “Wines of BC” booth throughout the Festival and sniff, swirl and sip their way through some of British Columbia’s more than 60 varietals produced in five designated viticultural areas. The booth showcases the diversity of BC VQA wines, perfectly paired with local, BC cuisine.
• “BC Food & Wine: Our Land, Revealed”. The BCWI will host this gourmet lunch from 12 noon-2:00 p.m., Sat., April 02 at O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar. A few tickets ($69) are still available at 604-873-3311 or www.playhousewinefest.com. The luncheon demonstrates how BC’s unique combination of mountains, lakes, fresh air and intense sunlight help create wines that reveal the province – wines that are fresh, clean, crisp and lively. It will feature food-friendly BC VQA wines paired with a sustainable and local menu of fresh BC culinary delights created by O’Doul’s Restaurant Executive Chef Chris Whittaker and his team. Guests will also be able to meet the winemakers and proprietors who craft BC’s special wines.

Tickets online at www.playhousewinefest.com.

22ND ANNUAL VANCOUVER MAGAZINE RESTAURANT AWARDS
April 12, 2011 – Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel

APRIL WINE VINALIA – SOUTH OKANAGAN FOOD & WINE GALA
April 15, 2011 – Watermark Beach Resort, Osoyoos

2011 BANÉE DINNER – SOUTH OKANAGAN WINERY ASSOCIATION
April 16, 2011 – Oliver Twist Estate Winery
www.sowasite.com

Modeled after Burgundy’s famed Banée de Meursault, a wine industry celebration that marks the end of pruning and the beginning of a new season, this night will feature exquisite food paired with wine from the member wineries of the South Okanagan Winery Association. Guests will be able to meet winemakers, grapegrowers and industry partners in the area, and enjoy the wine reception, a family style feast and a live auction. Banée tickets are $200 (call 250-485-0227).

SPRING OKANAGAN WINE FESTIVAL
April 29-May 8, 2011

Various wineries, restaurants, hotels and other locations throughout the Okanagan Valley. www.thewinefestivals.com.

3RD ANNUAL OSOYOOS CELEBRITY WINE FESTIVAL
June 9-12, 2011 at various Osoyoos venues.

This popular and growing weekend-long wine festival draws celebrities, wine aficionados and a great deal of media coverage to this South Okanagan resort town – including major coverage from ET Canada. Main venues for events include Walnut Beach Resort, Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort and Watermark Beach Resort. Television and movie star Jason Priestley, a co-owner of Black Hills Estate Winery, will again host a number of celebrities – this year including a number of stars from the Vancouver TV and film scene, as well as a number of Canadian Olympic athletes. For information see: www.osoyooscelebritywinefestival.com.

SUMMER OKANAGAN WINE FESTIVAL
July 8-16, 2011 

Various wineries, restaurants, hotels and other locations throughout the Okanagan Valley. www.thewinefestivals.com.

VICTORIA TASTE
July 21-24, 2011

Taste will uncork Thursday July 21, 2011 with an evening tasting of more than 100 British Columbia wines and local cuisine prepared by top Vancouver Island chefs. Not just a wine festival, this culinary tourism experience is an extra long weekend of tastings, seminars and events. Events are sure to sell out! www.victoriataste.com.