Tag: Wine Tasting

Food + Drink

Vini d’Abruzzo

This past Wednesday, I was invited to an exclusive tasting event at The Vancouver Club put on by The Consortium of wines from Abruzzo, Italy.

Since the responsibility of having two dogs, I have not made a trip to Italy in quite some time.  These little experiences bring me back to THE CHARMING TASTE OF EUROPE.

I was among a few sommeliers, agents/importers, restaurateurs, wine educators and licensed shop owners, where we had the opportunity to explore the unique characteristics of Abruzzo wines, and deepen our knowledge of this renowned appellation to discover the quality and elegance of their wines.

The Abruzzo wine region is located in central Italy, along the Adriatic Coast. It is considered the greenest region in Europe, with nearly half of its land designated as national parks and nature reserves. This unique geography contributes to the distinct character of its wines.

With David, the Director of Marketing for the Consortium of wines from Abruzzo.

This area is famous for its *Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, a bold red wine that dominates production.  At the walk around tasting we got to sample some with as high as 97 pts. Also, lovely,

With Leeann, owner of “Town Hall Brands” – the PR company.

naturally organic wine as well.

This event featured wine pairings with carefully selected finger foods which were amazing, and a risotto station with a young gentleman making it there on the spot with lemon, asparagus, fresh herbs and parmesan.

*A few interesting facts:

The Montepulciano grape has been cultivated in Abruzzo for centuries, with historical references dating back to 1792.

Legendary Healing Powers: A legend claims that Hannibal (the general renowned for his role in the Second Punic War (218-201 BC), where he famously led his army, including war elephants, across the Alps to invade Italy and challenge the Roman Republic) used Montepulciano wine to heal his horses from scabies! Lately, with the recent articles claiming that wine is no good for you, how do you like them grapes?

Abruzzo’s wines are a delightful mix of tradition and innovation. Have you ever tried one?  If so, do you have a favourite?

Photos: d. king

Food + Drink

Food & Wine – California Wine Fair

“I wish they all could be California Wines”

To SIP and to SAVOUR
To SIP and to SAVOUR

The 35th annual California Wine Fair Ballroom Tasting is the largest tasting of its kind in Vancouver.  I attended “The Arts Club” hosted event (in partnership with the Wine Institute of California) last night from what I can recall at the Vancouver Convention Centre.  This was one of three California wine-inspired fundraisers taking place this month.

The Prisoner - a favourite
A rep holds up The Prisoner – a favourite

As much as I would have like to, I couldn’t possibly have sampled all of the 350 wines from over 100 highly-regarded wineries that participated.  I might have managed about half of that.  Among the classic labels with interesting vintages, there were new favourites from an abundance of family run and boutique operations.winefair2

One of particular interest is Dancing Coyote, a family owned & operated old-world style vineyard located in a beautiful stretch of land in California’s Clarksburg appellation.  They’ve been farming in the Delta region along the Sacramento River for five generations. They make a wonderul Pinot Noir and Petite Sirah.

I really enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc from Dry Creek Vineyard Inc.  No wonder, as their Director of Export explained to me that they were the very first winery to plant the grapes in the Dry Creek Valley area, in 1972.  The Cabernet Sauvignon is excellent too.

Chateau St. Jean is a winery that is known for always producing exceptional wines.  An interesting tidbit: their winemaker, Margo Van Staaveren was the first woman to win winemaker of the year in 2010 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine which helped to put Sonoma on the map.

Forgive me if I've Zinned too much lately
I’ve Zinned & loved it!

While I don’t discriminate against any great wine growing region, I have a special affinity for these wines because of having been to many of the vineyards while traveling through California. Places like Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, Monterey, Lodi & Temecula.   I can tell you one thing, the choices are getting broader for which wines will go with which dishes. I also love hearing the stories about how the wineries got their names.

These wine makers work with great care and passion to product wonderful vintages which keep getting better and better.  All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable sipping and mingling evening.  I hope to attend again next year.

Have you been?