"The bears ate all the Merlot" #TinhornCreek #WBC13 #BCWine

Merlot loving bears are just one of the challenges of growing grapes in the Wine Capital of Canada, Oliver, British Columbia. This is new world wine on the wild frontier, where first nation tribes lived off the land for centuries - and still do, the Nk'Mip Nation have the only aboriginal owned and operated winery just to the south in Osoyoos. Beginning at the Canada/USA border, heading north to the McIntyre Bluff, the region has 29 vineyards that make up Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country.  This is the northernmost tip of the Great Basin Desert, an exciting  micro-climate that is desert-like, yet fruitful - an ideal environment for grape vines.

Oliver, BC is a former 19th Century gold rush town in the western Canadian mountains, a few hours east of Vancouver Island and just a short drive north from the American border.  As you drive through Oliver, perched on the Golden Mile Bench, in the shadow of Mt. Baldy is Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, the epicenter of the Canadian wine industry, where talent, and marketing savvy blend with the shorter growing season, and rich, sandy soil to make dynamic, interesting and delicious wines with a creative hat tip to old world technique and varietals. With a nod to classic French wine making, Tinhorn Creek produces a subtle, classic Cabernet Franc Rosé, the Oldfield Series 2Bench Rosé.

Even with the bears munching away on their crops, Tinhorn Creek is able to produce a diverse range of wines from grapes grown on their two properties, Diamondback Vineyard on the nearby Black Sage Bench, planted with a mix of Pinot Gris, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and Tinhorn Creek Vineyard on the Golden Mile Bench surrounded by 50-acres planted with a mix of red and white grapes, primarily featuring Gewürztraminer. This is home to their pressing, fermenting, barreling and bottling operation as well as the vineyard's award winning Miradoro Restaurant.

Ok, now I am finished trying to be a wine journalist (new writing gig people, announcement coming soon) and I'm gonna blog!

In June, 2013, I was lucky enough to be a part of an excursion to Oliver, BC as a part of WBC13. Dino from Grape Escapes "Driving you to drink...legally and loving it" brought 15 of us from Penticton to Oliver. As we drove south along the Okanogan River, Lindsey White from Tin Horn and her friend whose name I cannot remember, poured us local wines, and gave us a tour of the region (THANKS to DINO too!- that's him on the right) as we made our way to Oliver. Our first stop was a local history tour, walking amongst the ruins and rattlesnakes of Fairview, a once bustling mining town, (with multiple wine pouring stations as we walked the well marked paths).  Soon enough, our visit was over and Dino brought us to Miradoro at Tinhorn Creek for a reception and dinner.

Miradoro's Executive Chef Jeff Van Geest made paella over an open fire as we milled about meeting area winemakers. Staff from local Vineyards and Wineries poured for us, and told us stories of making wine on Canada's frontier. The genuine hospitality and passion for wine were amazing, we sipped, laughed and chatted as the sun slowly made its way down the horizon.  We balanced cameras and wine glasses as we bustled around snapping pictures, making memories and deeply inhaling the aromas wafting around us.  It was a feast of the senses.

Sandra & Kenn Oldfeild are Tin Horn Creek. After meeting in Northern California at UC Davis, Sandra as a young winemaker packed her bags and left Northern California to the wilds of Canada - where Ken had the vineyard. Sandra became his winemaker and then his wife.  She's an unabashed former American who has staked a claim in making great wine in the western mountains of Canada. Tinhorn Creek is a labor of love, and their love shows, in their stewardship of the land, their respect for the terroir, their community activities, their work promoting the area's vineyards, in the reputation and quality of the food at Miradoro, and ultimately in each glass of their wine.  It's even in the foundation of their barrel building. ( see "Sandra & Kenny `02" right)

One of the night's highlights for me was meeting Bruce Fuller, the Marshall at Rustico Farms and Cellars.  He both plays the part AND makes a delicious Bonanza Old Vine Zinfandel, which was so new to the bottle that it didn't even have a label yet - that didn't stop me. Rich, fruity and delicious, Bruce kept my glass full all night (a girl could get used to that).

After our reception, we were led through the barrel building, passed hors d'oeuvres and greeted with "Wine Bloggers Rule! on the racks of barrels  - what an amazing and thoughtful welcome.

I can't begin to rave about the food at Miradoro

- it was THAT good. 

I'll leave you with pictures from the evening.

Gazpacho to start, Paella and
Churros with a luscious chocolate sauce - the perfect dessert.

Dinner at God's Mountain Estate #JoyRoadCatering

Once upon a time, I had romantic dreams of what my life would be like.  Dreams of amazing evenings with friends and strangers whose stories, by morning would add to the tapestry of my life.

Dreams came true at the God's Mountain Estate Sunday Vineyard Dinner, overlooking the mountains and Skaha Lake at sunset, drinking amazing wine, eating delicious, inventive food, and listening to stories filled with intrigue (someone meeting their secret sister for the first time), and laughter (You're from New York?  We're from New York - what train?  - and the conversation went on...) Now, a month later, I pinch myself.  "Did this really happen?" Well, according to the photographs, yes it did.  I am a very lucky woman.

We were in Penticton, British Columbia for our Annual Wine Bloggers Conference, and my friend Valerie (check out her Wine Dog Review) had found this Vineyard Dinner as part of her post conference trip.  I quickly invited myself along to Joy Road Cuisine du Terrior's Alfresco Vineyard Dinner.

When the taxi picked us up at our hotel, we were in pioneering cowboy country, and when it dropped us off a few miles down the road, we stood looking at a huge, Mediterranean manse with an outdoor kitchen and blue striped chaise lounges by the swimming pool.

We had been magically transported to a British Ex-pat's Costa del Sol villa for Sunday Supper, catered by Joy Road, disciples of the venerable Alice Waters, overlooking the vines that grew the grapes for the Riesling that we would be drinking, under the shade of the lucky trees that get to witness this magical convergence weekly during the summer. All this just a few hours east of Vancouver on Canada's west coast.

I should preface what I write about this, knowing that you can't buy any of this Canadian wine in the United States.  There are strict import/export laws, this makes the Oliver/Okanagan region of Canada a hotspot for wine tourism.

It started with bubbly - Blue Mountain Brut.  A crisp, traditional bubbly with strong lemon overtones - I popped a field strawberry in my glass and enjoyed the view as we chatted about Sarah, our elegant proprietress with dancing eyes, and a passion for dogs, and other beautiful eclectic things.  It is no secret that I want to be Sarah when I grow up.

Dana Ewert from Joy Road led us through the evening, and started with a sublime passage from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters, beginning with “Let things taste of what they are....” and then the meal started.

Roasted Spanish style olives, home made bread and a long boards of Cameron Smith's charcuterie, quince paste and mousse de foie. The wine and the conversation flowed in between oohs and ahhs of "taste this" and passing bread, pouring olive oil and and maybe just a little hoarding of the mousse de foie.

(I'm not necessarily blaming the wonderful man from Scotland, but he certainly was an enthusiast!) There was plenty of food to go around, it was just so delicious, we became proprietary!

Then came the home grown Wild Goose Gods' Mountain Riesling, paired with asparagus, and olive oil confit steelhead. As each course was set I was reminded that this moment was very special.  A dream fulfillment really.  These moments are rare in life, but need to be celebrated.  Just writing abut that evening allows me to relive it - did I mention how lucky I am?

I was surprised,because I had already had the chance to have some amazing wine,  the next wine poured was the most amazing wine that I had during my Canada trip. Pentage Hiatus, a Bordeaux blend of 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc.  WOW. I'll admit it.  My glass was perpetually full, and  I was depressed that I was leaving the next morning at 3am, so I could not swing by their tasting room to buy some contraband bottles to pack in my checked luggage.

Pentage is the vineyard next door, and their wine is estate bottled. When I asked one of the women who works for Joy Road about the Pentage, she smiled... they are friends.  The Okanagan is a small world, and Pentage is owned and run by Paul Gardner & Julie Rennie.  Visiting them is the strongest pull for my return visit.

Our vegetables were radishes, kohlrabi and baby turnips with rhubarb butter and baby chives, and there was a side of Swiss chard with pickled currents.

Our salad was a delicious blend of local greens, and there was a spring pea risotto that elevated the meal, and then, Joy Road cooks  brought out plates of braised green garlic shots with olive oil bread crumbs, lemon and anchovies.  My question to Valerie was "could this get any better?"

The main protein was a ham roasted in organic hay.  This was my first exposure to hay roasting - I grew up in the country, and the smell of newly cut hay is still a trigger memory for me.  Having that happy childhood scent memory entwined with this delicious meal was a part of the alchemy that made this a magical evening.   You really could taste the subtle flavor, it was sublime, and paired perfectly with the chocolatey undertones of the Pentage Hiatus.

Dessert was fresh picked strawberries with wild rose vanilla bean & honey cream meringues with a special hint of ginger added for Sarah (I am now a convert to ginger meringues, and I will be trying to recreate these at home)

There was a tisane of fresh chocolate mint, literally just picked from the garden, washed and put in a tea pot, with boiling water poured over it.  As I sipped, I wanted to have a mint garden to make this tea whenever I wanted it. Then it came to an end; as the sun set on our beautiful evening, our taxi arrived.

Throughout the night, I envied Sarah's dogs.  The were loved by all, and their lives consist of being companions and frolicking in the vineyard, above all, they lived at God's Mountain. No taxi would be bringing them back to the hotel - I guess that is the ultimate sign of a perfect evening...  I didn't want to leave.

#WBC13 Perseus Tempus Syrah `10 Live Blog Red

Wow, smells nice.  A perfumey Rhone fermentation. It really makes this wine unique and drinkable.  I just want to smell this all day.  It has vanilla notes, and an aromatic background.  This is my go to relaxing wine for the night.  I could easily imagine just opening this after a long day, taking a big sniff, and sipping,then sipping some more, and then some more.

Perseus Winery Penticton, British Columbia, Canada.  Yet another wine that for now, is exclusive to Canada.  Maybe one day, they will be allowed to export to the rest of the world.

#WBC13 Upper Bench Cabernet Sauvignon `11 Live Blog Red

Gavin Miller presented his top shelf Cabernet Sauvignon.  It has a beautiful ruby color.  The only Husband and Wife wine and Cheese makers in Canada.  This was a delicious, elegant Cabernet. Now I want to try their cheese.

 Update 7/8/2013

Upper Bench Estate Winery is a labor of love. When my driver took me to the airport after the conference had ended, all she could talk about was Upper Bench. They have a loyal and vocal local fan base. Good wine, good people.

#WBC13 Black Sage Vineyard Merlot `10 Live Blog Red

Jason James, Black Sage's winemaker.presented this smooth Merlot.  This was a bottle from a 1500 case year.  This is a wine that sadly, most people will never get to taste.  It is a limited wine, and I feel very lucky to have been able to taste it.