My Favourite Wines Tasted in 2015

This year is now coming to a close and although 2015 was relatively quiet in my world of wine, it brought much joy and surprise in other facets of life for me. On April 30, I discovered I was pregnant with my second child and in August, I was delighted to learn my baby is a girl! She will make her big arrival on December 30. She had me craving beer most of the pregnancy, future beer lover?

January 1-April 30 still had me busily exploring the world of wine. Some highlights included starting up a tasting group with fellow wine lovers in the late winter/early spring, visiting Jamaica's Appleton Estate Rum Distillery in February and attending a few local tasting events that focused on great value wines. I also made it back to the Okanagan in August and did some wine touring - thank goodness for spit buckets! 

Even with only 4 months of official tasting, I was able to put together a list of wines and pairings that stood out to me during the year. Here are my top wine picks of 2015!

Top Red Wines

Because my drinkable months occurred during the winter, my top picks favour red wines this year.  In fact, there were very few red wines I didn't enjoy in the first 3 months of 2015! The top two wines are priced in the premium category, while the other 3 are priced between $20 and $35 CDN.

1. Burrowing Owl Meritage 2011 - Oliver, British Columbia, Canada 

2. Joseph Phelps Insignia 1996 - Napa, California

3. Dominio de Tares Baltos Mencia 2011 - Bierzo, Spain

4. Silkscarf Malbec Cabernet 2009 - Summerland, British Columbia, Canada

5. Tiefenbrunner Pinot Noir Turmhof 2012 - Alto Adige, Italy

Top White Wines

Spain took the top 1 and 3 spots and French whites, including a Premier Cru, took 2nd and 4th place. All wines are priced under $40 CDN with the exception of the Burgundy, which is premium priced.

1. Bodegas Muga Blanco 2011 - Rioja, Spain

2. Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Genevrieres 2000 - Burgundy, France  

3. Bodegas Exopto Horizonte de Exopto 2012 - Rioja, Spain

4. Domaine Fouassier Les Romains 2012 - Sancerre, Loire Valley, France 

Because of my shortened "tasting season" this year, I wasn't able to spend as much time with sweet wines, sparkling wines or rose wines and will therefore not be adding these categories to my list this year. However, I did get to experiment with wine and food a fair bit, and here are my top picks for pairings.

Top Wine and Food Pairings

1. Pfaffenheim Gewurztraminer 2013 with Seafood Salad "Louis Style", served in Lettuce Boats

2. Domino Pinot Grigio 2012 with Honey-Lime Marinated Shrimp (v)

3. Tommasi Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo 2011 with Slow-Cooked BBQ Ribs (v)

Honourable Mention; Cameron Hughes Della Robbia semi-sweet Italian Rosso with Wagon Wheels (v)

*Don't knock this pairing until you try it! This pairing is great for camping!

Three of my top wines in the food pairing category happen to be value wines at under $20 per bottle, so my Top Values list is shortened to include the wines mentioned above. Australian Shirazes dominate the list, with a semi-sweet Tokaji clinching 3rd spot and a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc rounding out the category. 

Top Values

1. Wynn's Coonawarra Estate Cab Shiraz Merlot 2010 - Coonawarra, Australia

2. M Chapoutier Domaine Tournon "Mathilda" Shiraz 2010 - Victoria, Australia

3. Crown Estates Tokaji Sargamuskotaly semi-sweet 2011 - Hungary

4. Seven Terraces Sauvignon Blanc 2013 - Marlborough, New Zealand

This year I'm going to introduce 2 new categories: Top Spirits and Top Beers. You might be surprised at the number of Canadian spirits & beers on each list, but in my opinion Canada is really starting to make their mark on the world of spirits, especially in the world of Whisky. The top beers are courtesy of my husband, who tasted approximately 100 beers in 2015!

Top Spirits

1. Appleton Estate Rare Blend 12 Year Old Rum - St Elizabeth Parrish, Jamaica

2. Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye - Gimli, Manitoba, Canada

3. Eau Claire Distillery Three Point Vodka - Turner Valley, Alberta, Calgary

Top Beers

1. Phillips Longboat Chocolate Porter - Victoria, BC, Canada

2. Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock - Germany

3. Delerium Tremens - Belgium 

4. Granville Island Lions Winter Ale - Vancouver, BC, Canada

5. Erdinger Dunkel - Germany

So what's next for 2016? 

I plan to return to wine school through Fine Vintage Ltd and take their Canadian Wine Scholar Certification course in late 2016/early 2017. Therefore, my main focus will be on Canadian wines. Our major trip this year will be back to the Okanagan, where I will sample my way through the region and soak up as much knowledge as I can to study and prepare for the course. I am also hoping to spend some time in the Niagara region, should we make it back to my parents' place in Ontario.

Other regions I plan to focus on include Champagne, California, Italian food and wine pairings and Rioja, Spain. 

Huge thanks to all those who still follow me despite my long absence from the blog and twitter! May you have a 2016 filled with good food, good friends and great wine. Cheers!

Farm to Glass: Alberta's First Craft Distillery

The eat/drink local trend is a popular idea in modern society today. Supporting local agriculture and husbandry allows us to consume the freshest possible products, while making a positive impact on our economy. Here in Alberta we can eat locally sourced beef and corn, and drink locally with mead wine and craft breweries. Now we can add spirits to the locally-sourced mix; Eau Claire Distillery, located in Turner Valley, is utilizing a "Farm to Glass" approach in the distillation of their spirits.

This approach starts in the barley fields surrounding Turner Valley. Known as "the best barley in the world", some is exported out to the United Kingdom, where it is used to make some of the finest whisky in the world. Eau Claire uses barley and rye to make their spirits. The grains are harvested the old-fashioned way, with horse and plow. When they arrive at the distillery, the grains are put into the grinder and the husks are broken apart, to remove the bitter flavour from the husk. Then the broken grains are moved to the mash ton, boiling water is added, and flavours are extracted from the grain for 4 hours. The spent grain is removed and shipped to a local dairy farmer to be used as cow feed.

The next step is the fermentation tanks, where a specific yeast is added to develop desired flavour compounds. The fermentation process takes 48 hours, and will generate an alcoholic content of 6-8%. From there, it's off to the copper pot still with 2 different types of "towers": the stripping column, where the alcohol is taken up to 85% abv, used for whisky. The vodka and gin moves on to the second column, and distilled up to 95% abv. Once this occurs, "backwater" from the Sheep's River, fed by the Rocky Mountains, is added to proof the spirit.

There are 3 parts to the spirit when it comes off the still: the first part is the heads, the middle part is called the hearts, and the last part is called the tails. Eau Claire Distillery uses the hearts for their final products, to ensure the best quality. They distill the tails once more and put them into barrels for later usage in the blending process.

Despite the vast humidity and climate differences between Alberta and Scotland, Eau Claire has found a way to mature their whisky on-site. The floor of their aging room is composed of consistent clay, gravel and sand, which is irrigated every day, creating humidity and therefore replicating an aging warehouse in Scotland. The humidity comes from the floor, creating floral notes in the barrels on the bottom, and more earthy notes in the barrels on top. The whisky will age for 3 years before it is released to the public.

Eau Claire Distillery currently offers 3 spirits on their tasting bar: Vodka, Parlour Gin, and the Equinox. The Three Point Vodka is very smooth and creamy, with notes of banana and vanilla. Easy to sip on it's own or mix with soda water. The Parlour Gin is full of botanical aromas, followed by an herbal and spicy kick that doesn't overpower in the mouth. Their seasonal offering, Equinox, was my personal favourite. Springtime flavours of peach and nectarine with Eau Claire's trademark smooth finish make this spirit fantastic for your own customized mojito on the patio! 

Eau Claire Distillery's farm-to-glass approach with Alberta-born spirits takes the "Drink Local" trend to the next level. One sip reinforced for me the pride I have living on such great Alberta soil. The next time you're headed south of Calgary, stop by the distillery for a tour, a tasting and maybe a bottle or two. Click here for more information, or head down to Turner Valley for a tour, tasting and to purchase a bottle or two. As they say at the distillery: "May the Spirits be with You!"

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Flights of Fancy: Springing into Spain

The arrival of Spring brings rebirth to the natural world. In my wine world, a new tasting group was born on Tuesday night when 5 winelovers gathered together to sample some wines from Spain, expand our knowledge base, and get to know eachother. All wines were sampled blind and structural elements as well as flavour profiles were discussed before each bottle was revealed. Here are my tasting notes for each wine:

1. Bodegas Muga White Rioja 2011

Zesty acidity and a full body envelope a flavour profile of green apple, lemon, grated ginger and toast. Soft but focused tannins from fermentation in new French oak work in harmonious balance to create a well structured wine. Composed of 90% Viura and 10% Malvasia, this wine pairs beautifully with stuffed chicken breasts, roast goose and salmon dishes.

2. Bodegas Exopto Horizonte de Exopto Rioja Bianco 2012

Refreshing and bright, with notes of honeydew melon, kiwi fruit and apricot on the palate. A touch of almonds on the finish reflect the oak fermentation. Imagine yourself on a patio in the summer sunshine, sipping on this wine while enjoying a prosciutto and melon pizza. Delightful!

3. Zeta Rosado Reserva Cava

Comprised of 100% Pinot Noir, this unique and charming cava shows essences of grapefruit, minerality and a floral hint. Light in body with delicate mousse and lively acidity makes this an easy quaffer. Would pair well with seafood pasta tossed in oil. Drink now.

4. Torres Celeste Crianza 2010

Fruit forward notes of strawberry and blackberry intertwined with black pepper, and a taste of toasted walnut on the long, smooth finish. Soft, fresh acidity and prominent but velvety tannins cast a sultry structure. An ideal wine for prime rib with au jus, and can age in cellar for 3-5 years maximum to soften the tannins.

5. Venta Las Vacas Ribeira del Duero 2012

Intense and powerful, with notes of blueberries, black currant and kalamata olives woven into firm tannins and a full body. This wine is excellent for food pairings, including charcuterie, beef stew and hard, strong cheeses. Decant a minimum of 2 hours before serving.

6. Dominio de Tares Baltos 2011

Aromas of cherries, caramel and a hint of musk combined with lively acidity and soft tannins. Spice notes on the finish add complexity. Very approachable and easy to drink. 

The next tasting is 2 weeks from now and will feature Pinot Noir. Parameters to be confirmed closer to the date.

Cheers!