"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.

Mary Hill Zinfandel`08 $16.99 Live blog red #WBC12

@MaryhillWinery presented by Rich Marshall and Carley from the Columbia Gorge Basin.  Total Production 85,000 cases 15th largest winery in the state.   ETOH 14.5% Very Well Balanced, a favorite for lamb and game. In addition to a winery, they have an amphitheater, check out their website:  www.maryhillwinery.com

Tin Barn Zinfandel Russian River Valley Gilsson Vineyards`09 **** sample #WBC11

I ♥ Tin Barn Vineyards. In July, at the WBC11 "Meet the Sponsors" Reception, I tasted their 2010 Sauvignon Blanc.  It was bright (citrus) with a fresh acid "clean" taste; refreshing and good.

Tin Barn is a Napa/Sonoma/Russian River Valley producer, that puts the growers at the forefront of their product, and it shows.  The use 100% varietals (excepting their Cabernet blend) showcasing the land, climate and grapes.  I was impressed with the Sauvignon Blanc, made some notes and grabbed a post card. Back at my hotel room, I happily dug into my "Swag Bag" and found a half bottle of their `09 Russian River Zinfandel.  I read a rumor that Tin Barn produced these bottles for WBC11, and if that us true, well, then I ♥ them even more.

The day after the conference, I spent a night at Colonial Williamsburg, where I met a friend from the conference, WineBizNews's Barbara Keck who also writes Mountain High Wines and "Wine Adventures" at The Tahoe Weekly.  We had a delicious dinner at the Kings Arms Tavern, then we had an end of evening glass of wine back at the parlor of the Chiswell-Bucktrout House.

Barbara brought out her half bottle of the Tin Barn Zinfandel Russian River Valley Gilsson Vineyards`09 (and she styled the photo on the left), we toasted a good dinner, great conference and new friends.

A half bottle of wine is PERFECT for two people who just want to share a drink at the end of an evening.  It is a rich zinfandel, (15.7 % ETOH) with a deep, dry blackberry taste.  Good for sipping and I was imagining what it would be like with food.

Cut to September, 2011.  JPH and S. are off on a second honeymoon; MEH and I are holding down the fort. We planned the menu for the week, and on our "Steak Night" I decided that I would indulge myself with the Tin Barn Zinfandel.  It was delicious paired with our grilled tri-tip steak, mushroom gnocchi, salad and mini eclairs (ok, not so much with the mini-eclairs.  DO NOT pair Zinfandel with custard desserts - you can't say I didn't warn you!).

I didn't decant the wine, but I did swirl it  a lot; over the course of the evening - from dinner to the post dinner Dr. Who episode, I carried around my glass & the half bottle and enjoyed every drop.

Blackberries.  Intense, fruity blackberries, very few tannins and a long fruity finish. I love the concept of a half bottle, and I am so happy that this wine is delicious and full of flavor. This was yet another great thing to come out of WBC11.  I'm already signed up for WBC12 . Tin Barn, I hope you'll be there too!

Girasole Organic Zinfandel `07 (not TJ's) $19.99 ***

K and I have a symbiotic friendship when it comes to food.  If she is cooking Sunday dinner, I'll show up with salad fixin's and throw together a salad. I have been known on occasion to visit on the day of a dinner party and make corn pudding; if she serves a giant ham, she'll give me the left over bone and two pounds of split peas and we'll all share the split pea soup after I've cooked it.  Last night, she hosted Sunday night dinner; we had a great time and some nice port.  A friend of hers had given her five pheasant breasts & five duck breasts.  While I was throwing together a salad, she asked me if I wanted to cook with them.  Well, who am I to give up a chance to cook (and open a bottle along the way).

The next day with the duck and pheasant in the fridge, I started looking for a substantial bottle of red to use in my "Game Bag Stew".  I remembered this zinfandel from a tasting at Bacchus.  I chose it for cooking today because it is a good, flavorful red wine and is organic & vegan. (If you are offended by hunting or cooking game birds, it would do you well to skip to the next paragraph)  Disclaimer: I am sick and twisted in such a way that if something is labeled "organic & vegan", I am going to add it to my "hunted & shot on Saturday" duck and pheasant.  If you got to this post because you were Googling a vegan, organic wine, well, sorry if you are offended but I thrive on irony.  If it is any solace, JPH got a piece of bird-shot when he was chewing at dinner tonight! (I really did clean the meat as best I could, and I didn't feel any shot as I was cubing the meat, but that one got away from me).

Back to the wine:

Girasole Zinfandel, from Mendicino, California, is bright, with blackberry flavors and a subtle layer of mocha with a medium oaky finish. It was great to cook with, as it added the berry flavor and the lushness of the oak and mocha to the stew.  It was nice to sip as I was cooking too. It had some tannins, BUT:

After the Vinturi, this became a lush and smooth wine that was very easy to drink. The tannins just disappeared after aerating, and the wine just became berry like by full flavored - not so layered and easily defined.  I really liked it aerated.  Definitely worth decanting.  This is also a pretty good stand alone wine to just sip at the end of the day.  Pairing it with food just makes it all the more enjoyable. And... it is certified Organic & vegan to boot!   : )

Did I mention that K's house if famous?  Well it is.  They have shot commercials and fashion layouts in it.  My all time favorite is this "Viva Viagra" commercial.  From the attic to the front living room, this is a house that I have many happy memories of - I get a chuckle every time I watch a stranger walking down those stairs in a powder blue tux, then we hear about Viagra in the font living room! (Racier conversations have been had there, I can assure you!)

Ménage à Trois Red `08 $10.00 (Not TJ's) ***(*)

Of course I have a lot of fun with the name of this wine - after all, wine is fun! Would you expect anything else? This wine is produced by a winery called Folie à Deux in California - I've had their whites, they are good too.  The discovery tonight was that this is a really delightful pour and it is also a bit of a chameleon.  I am not usually fond of blends, BUT this is a nice blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Zinfandel. 

First pour:  Yummy.  Light and fruity with a long finish.  Fresh currant and raspberry, with a Cabernet Sauvignon slightly oaky finish.  WOW! A great wine for food. JPH helped me style this first picture.  What a beautiful purple wine.  There had been a breakfast pie baked earlier in the afternoon, and I wanted to show off JPH's handiwork (6:30am coffee is only made better by the promise of pie!).

After the vinturi: WOW - it opened up the wine so that it was light and deliciously fruity - the depth of the finish was gone, but it became sooo easy to drink. Of course as I was nibblish, a plate of goldfish made it to the table, and now I can say that this red goes really well with goldfish crackers!  This red changed dramatically after the vinturi, but BOTH ways, it is extremely palatable. It is also interesting that this wine is blended AFTER fermentation - the flavors don't meld until they are bottled - maybe that is why it is so distinctively layered (any why aeration blends the flavors so completely).


Then the deluge began.  I wish I had taken pictures of the torrential rain that was soaking the lawn and flooding the roads. Wow, it was raining, and I was safe and dry in the kitchen with really good glass of wine in my hand.  It was all good.


The rain slowed down and S went out to inspect the new plantings, then came back in muddied, but satisfied that they had survived and were enjoying a much needed watering.  I went to check on the dog  - she is an octogenarian and does not like thunderstorms - I found her blocking the door and shaking. That was when the lights started to flicker, and the adventure began.  By the time I asked about the power going out, it was out. Supplies were rounded up, candles were lit, plans were canceled and we all settled in for a beautiful Thursday night dinner - of course, I still had to cook it - thank goodness for gas stoves!!! It was my turn - and let's face it I'll trade cooking risotto for a fresh baked pie any day!!

It was late afternoon, but the storm  made it look like nighttime.  I poured another glass of wine, started making my notes by candlelight, JPH opened a beer, S checked on the garden again for storm damage and MEH provided the play list (iBook/iTunes) to set the ambiance. We played with shadows and flashlights. All of a sudden, a small dragon looked ominous.

We had Risotto by candlelight.  Poor traumatized Nell had a dinner of marrow bones, chicken and kibble. We sat around the table enjoying our meal, talking about the wine (there was mention of stocking up on it) and a good time was had by all.

This is a longer than usual review, because we happened to open this bottle on an eventful evening. What was originally going to be a simple dinner of Risotto with bone marrow and porcini mushrooms from Aosta, ended up being an intimate dinner in the dark of a power outage after a deluge of rain and NYC being forced to a grinding halt by tornadoes and thunderstorms. One person died in the storm and millions of dollars of damage was done.  Train lines were stopped and people were stranded in the city. We counted our blessings when the power came back on a few hours later and we saw the news.  We were safe, dry & well fed; and I get to review a very nice bottle of wine named Ménage à Trois.

Rosenblum Vintners Cuvee XXXI Zinfandel $7.99 ***

I have a cold.  Which means that my taste buds are suboptimal. What to do when your head wants to cede from your body?  Make chicken soup and drink wine (in-between book edits for a friend).

First sip of the Rosenblum, I like it.  Lush, berry-like, with a nice, slightly dry finish.  Like I said, my taste buds are off, I am sure that I am missing some nuance, but all in all, I like this wine.  It is a big taste for $7.99.

Wow, this wine has a tech sheet.... That is impressive marketing for a $7.99 bottle of wine.  (I'd pay $15 for it - but don't tell Trader Joe's that)

Now for a run through the vinturi....  even better.  My suggestion, invite some friends over for a nice rich, meaty dinner.  (Or really good crackers and cheese) pop the cork on the Rosenblum and decant it, then have a great meal.

Or, if you are like me, warm up some home made chicken noodle soup, drink a glass or two, keep a box of Puffs next to you, curl up on the sofa of sloth and watch The Colony (a great Discovery Channel staged reality show about post pandemic survival in a decimated Los Angeles...)

Cline Ancient Vine Zinfandel `07 $12.99 ****

I am a very lucky girl.

This Fall has been stressful. (When I am stressed... surprisingly, I don't drink much! huh...) When my friends J& S let me stay/housesit for the weekend, it is a little slice of paradise. Which includes an amazing dinner and some great wine.

The Cline Ancient Vine Zinfandel is a rich, flavorful (raspberry and coffee overtones) and easy to drink wine. No real tannins, just a burst of lush flavor when you sip it.

J made grilled skirt steak, pasta in a four mushroom cream sauce and a mixed green salad with a side of rustic french bread. S and I opened the bottle as J was grilling the steak and I finished the bottle the day after with my lunch of delicious leftovers.

Red wine and steak, pasta and cream sauce. You can't go wrong.

Cline is an interesting vineyard. The label has a lot of info. They are 100% off the grid with their energy consumption. 50,000 square feel of solar panels over their winery roof. - -cool, I like that. Although they call their vines "Ancient" - I don't get that, 86 - 100 is ancient? I know a few grandparents who would take umbrage - especially after polishing off a couple of glasses of wine. What can I say, all my favorite grand parents & great grand parents are winos - birds of a feather....

I like this wine. It is a fair price. I wish I had the Vinturi to try it out, but I am not at home. Shhh don't tell them, but I know one thing that is going under their Christmas tree. After all, I do drink wine at their place, I might as well be able to do a full review!

NB: After dinner, S and I had an amazing Pedro Ximenez San Emillo Sherry, definitely NOT a TJ's wine.. But is was a perfect postprandial drink, well, drinks, my glass was always full and my head was heavy when I woke up this morning. Years ago, S turned me into a Sherry/Madeira drinker, I am just too cheap to buy the good stuff. It tasted of smooth sugary raisins. A perfect to end a great evening meal, as we watched J do the dishes.

Drinking wine while on vacation

Yes, I did it. I took a mini vacation - my first after my transplant, and it felt great! I live pretty frugally on a day to day basis, but when I am on vacation - well, random splurges do happen, and the most random (and most delicious) was before I even left NYC. At JFK (I know, who would have thought that you could get a really good meal (with wine) at the airport?)

Vino Volo is a chain restaurant. (who knew? I am recommending a chain restaurant.) It has a small menu of really good food that is designed around the wines that they are featuring. All wines can be had by the glass, and should you wish (as I did) you can order a flight of wines for a tasting. I am writing to tell you that this is a great concept, and now I am desperate to travel again just so I can start my trip with a wine tasting and meal there. Is it bad that I will need to go through security to go to my new favorite restaurant? Or that I want to fly to Dulles, Baltimore, Detroit, Philadelphia, Newark, San Antonio, Sacramento or Seattle - just to taste the wine at each airport's location? Ok, maybe not San Antonio or Sacramento, but you get my enthusiasm. (The pictures are from my treo - sorry for the poor quality)

Now on to my menu and pairings:

I chose the "Shades of White" flight ($9.00):
Pascal Jolivet French Sauvignon Blanc, Loire Valley 2007
Il Greto Pino Grigio, Venezie 2006
Iron Horse Vinyards Chardonnay, Sonoma County, CA 2005

And to eat, the smoked salmon over crab salad crostini.

The flight comes with a bar mat that describes each wine (using grown-up words and exact flavors - reading the descriptions made the tasting so much better, I was searching for the elements mentioned, and for the flavors) and also a four square graph to plot the wine on the scale of bright, rich, light and brooding. I think that this will help me describe my TJ's wines in the future. I ranked the three above. My favorite white was the Pascal. It was subtle, and highlighted the saltiness of the salmon and the creaminess of the crab. Second was the Il Greto, it was very light, a bit too light, but very refreshing. And third was the Iron Horse - I just felt that it was very sharp.

All three of these are 3-4 star wines, I just felt that the Iron Horse was heavier - it gave a good contrast to the two European wines, and when I read the description of a "finish of chalky stone" - I had my EUREKA moment of the day: I tasted the chalky stone.

I was so excited about the white wine and I still had time before my flight, I went for a second course of red. The flight was "California Kings" ($12.00) and as a pairing, I had a Ligurian chickpea and chorizo chili. The food comes in two sizes. For the salmon, I had the full plate ($11.00); with the chili, I had the small plate ($8.00)

The chili was great, and stood up to these robust reds - which were:

Havens Wine Cellars Merlot, Napa 2004
Hall Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2005
Trinitas Zinfandel, Contra Costa County, 2006

Again, the bar mat under the glasses gave a great description of the wines The graph really helped to understand depth. (although I still can't quite figure out how a wine can be brooding - I always think of men (Heathcliff) or a hen as brooding - maybe on my next trip, I'll figure out how a wine can brood.)

The chili was spicy and really good, which gave a great contrast to the expensive reds. My favorite was the Havens Merlot. It was juicy and a great wine (it was also the cheapest at $29.00 per bottle). Second was the Zinfandel from Trinitas; it was fruity and spicy and matched really well with the chili. Last, but not least was the most expensive the Hall Cabernet Sauvignon. It was heavy, rich and had a lot of tannin, I would have that with a fatty steak or some other heavy meal, it was a bit overpowering for the chili.

Vino Volo is a great way to taste expensive wines by the glass on a moderate budget. The staff were great, and the atmosphere is happy. I'd get to the airport early and hungry just to try another part of the menu. The total cost for this eye opening, palate pleasing lunch was $45.52 plus tip. This splurge set the tone for a refreshing vacation.

More TJ reviews later this month.