Late Summer 2011 Wine Note

Late...Summer 2011 Wine Newsletter
Greetings friends and fellow wine lovers...
My apologies for how long it has been since my last wine note...its embarrassing actually. Since my last note was back in April I will give you a brief family update prior to moving on to the wine selections. Ellen and I sold our apartment in Vancouver at the beginning of April and moved to Thetis Island full time (we are now wondering what took us so long, as we love it so much). Early in April we travelled to Spain to meet up with daughter Kelsey who was attending University in the small Spanish city of Huelva. We had a fabulous month in Spain and Portugal, with lots of adventures, great wine drinking, good birding, fabulous beaches, fantastic food and great weather.

The spring and summer has been busy on Thetis Island, between golf, tennis, swimming, the garden (despite the cool spring we have had a bumper crop of tomatoes, boysenberries, garlic, kale, potatoes, lettuce, peas, beans, turnips, spaghetti squash, zucchinis and beets, not to mention the bounty of plums, apples and figs), social engagements (Art Auction and Soiree, the Thetis Island Open, Ruby's trousseau party, beach parties, a Sauvignon Blanc tasting event, a harrowing mountain bike ride on Valdez Island, a fishing derby, a red Zinfandel and Noble Grape tasting party, the annual PGA {Progressive Golf Activity} dinner, the Thetis Island Parade and Dance Party, a summer solstice party, Auntie Kay's 90th birthday party, niece Carolyn's party, and I could go on and on), and a steady stream of visitors, whom we love to see.

Now that fall is starting to show, Kelsey (see Facebook page 'House of Zon') and Monica (www.monicarushdesign.com) are back at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo for their fourth year of Global Studies and Graphic Design respectively.

Wines: All of them have been taste tested, except the Eturnum Viti...and worth trying...


Thornhaven Gewurztraminer 2010, Okanagan Valley, BC
Price: $18
UPC: 00626990012313
Score: 90/10 (AG)
Remarks: This is a wine that you may want to hunt down. This year it has been made available in BC government liquor stores and it is well worth the look. Terrific intensity and length. 'The combination of freshness, varietal character and ripe citrus, lychee fruit flavours with a strong floral undercurrent are exceptional. Nobody does it better in BC or Canada'. We had this a few weeks ago as an aperitif, with brie cheese and fresh cherry tomatoes from the garden. Have I mentioned how fabulous the tomato crop is this year after a very slow start. Absolutely 'epic' as the girls like to say.


Emiliana Novas Limited Selection Chardonnay Marsanne 2010, Valle de Casablanca, Chile
Price: $18
UPC: 007804320476650
Score: 88/100 (AG)
Remarks: 'This unusual blend is an organically grown 60 - 40 blend of Chardonnay and Marsanne. The nose and palate are a mix of melons, lemons, pineapples perfectly balanced by ripe red apples with bits of honey and apricot in the finish; the textures are round and ripe. Perfect for that Thai curry, or grilled fish with fruit salsa'. We had this with BBQ ribs and was enjoyed by my resident chardonnay critic. The bottle was finished off a few nights later with some fresh crab. Almost any chardonnay is a good choice with crab.


Fat Bastard Chardonnay 2008, Languedoc, France
Price: $15
UPC: 3700067800045
Score: 87/100 (AG)
Remarks: 'A solid southern French label with a modern twist. It is fresh, light and elegant on the palate with a slightly sweet warm entry. Honey, baked pineapple, lemon peel and mineral flavours dominate its simple, fruity, forward style'.  We enjoyed a bottle of this earlier in the summer with friends and had it as an aperitif with a few nibblies...Enjoyed by all. This wine is readily available in BC.


Bleasdale Second Inning Malbec 2009, Langhorne Creek, South Australia
Price: $16
UPC: 09316475001949
Score: 88/100
Remarks: A rare Australian variety that is fun to try. The plum jam, spice and savoury vanilla, coffee, tobacco, boysenberry jam flavours with a dusting of mushrooms in the back end went wonderfully with BBQ'd hamburgers...but then again, I like hamburgers with almost all wines.


Marques de Riscal Rioja Reserva, 2005. Rioja, Spain
Price: $28.95
UPC: 8410869450014
Score: 88/100 (AG)
Remarks: On our trip to Spain, Ellen and I were on a flight from Seville to Barcelona, our seat-mate was an American fellow who worked and lived in Israel. We got to talking about all sorts of things including wine. He recommended that we try this particular bottle of wine. He described it perfectly down to the white label and the wire around the bottle...and it sold for $14 Euro's. Sure enough, we were able to find a couple of bottles to bring back to Canada. We had one of the bottles back in May on my birthday with Monica and BBQ'd lamb chops. It was wonderful. The second bottle was given to a good friend who did us a favour around the house while we were away. I have found it in quite a few BC Liquor stores, including Duncan, Nanaimo and West Vancouver, the wire is the give away.


Eternum Vite 2008, Toro, Castilla-Leon Spain
Price: $25
UPC: 008437002948153
91/100 (AG)
Remarks: I have not tasted this one yet. It is in the cellar for a five year stay. This 'Toro tempranillo is made from 30 to 40 year old vines, 50 percent of which is is aged in new French oak barrels. Expect an inky black, red wine with a dollop of vanilla on the nose and bits of earth and black fruits. The palate is smooth and warm with more blackberry/blueberry fruit flavours. This wine needs five years to really come around but lamb chops would easily tame its fine grained tannins if you want to drink it now'. I have seen it in many BC Liquor stores.


Myself and a load of fresh tomatoes. Ruby Tuesday in the background. For those who have not yet met Ruby...she is mannequin that we bought while we were staying with Carels in Naramata Bench last year. She has been a real hit, and even had her own trousseau party earlier in the summer.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,

Keith Rush

My Favourite ‘Go To’ Wines

From time to time I am asked ‘what are your favourite wines’? A number of thoughts flash trough my head…including the saying of an old friend of mine George Clare who says “I have never met a wine I didn’t like”, and of course it depends on what type of wine, a red wine, a white wine, a rosé, a sparkling wine or a fortified wine? As far as everyday wine goes, I have a number of ‘go to’ favourites that I will share with you today…Also included is a pick from the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, which features Spain as the regional theme. http://www.playhousewinefest.com/ Coincidentally, Ellen and I are off to Spain on Sunday to hook up with daughter Kelsey, who is at the University of Huelva for the spring semester.

First is a delicious red blend from South Africa…

The Wolftrap, is a blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Viognier and sells for about $15 in British Columbia.  It is a very versatile food wine that goes well with meats and tomato dishes. The 2009 vintage scores an impressive 88/100 from Gismondi on Wine (GOW): www.gismondionwine.com


Next is my recent favourite Pinot Gris from Argentina…

The Bodega Lurton 2009 Pinot Gris has been my ‘go to’ light white wine for some time now. It is fabulous all on it’s own and sell for only $12.50, and scores a respectable 87/100 from GOW.


Ellen’s favourite everyday Chardonnay…

Yellow tail from Australia is a ‘big kick ass’ chard, which is Ellen’s ‘go to’ chardonnay every time. It sells for $11.99.

And the selection from the Vancouver International Playhouse Wine Festival

Beso de Vino Seleccion Syrah/Grenacha 2009, Spain
Price: $13
UPC: 00814095009974
Score: 89/100 (AG); 90/100 Robert Parker
Remarks: This was recommended to me by a Forestry friend, and it took me a while to find it. As it turned out a new shipment arrived the other day in the Chemainus LCB. Thanks Wayne for having great taste and an eye for value. This wine is a lot of fun for $13, from its supple, warm juicy palate to its plum jam, orange, meaty, peppery, chocolate, black cherry, licorice, savoury flavours. Big, bold, warm and fruity. It went well with baked chicken and spaghetti on Ellen's birthday.


Do you have a great everyday favourite…send a photo of the label and I will test it out.

Also, I will be bogging from Spain so check out my blog at: http://winerush.blogspot.com/
Best Regards

Keith

Wine Newsletter with a Guest Beer Lover Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. February 2011 Wine Newsletter Greetings Folks: I hope this note finds you well and enjoying life. Ellen and I have some news...and that is that we sold our apartment in West Vancouver. It took us a while to finally decide to list our place as we love it and the location. We listed with family friend Jason Jennings of Sussex Realty. It all went smoothy and sold very quickly, thank you Jason. We are really excited to be truly living full time on Thetis Island. Once the move is over we will be going to Spain and Portugal for a few weeks to catch up with daughter Kelsey, who is doing a semester at the University in the Spanish city of Huelva. Guest Beer Lover: We have another guest writer this month and he also will NOT be talking about wine. Scott Bax is a friend of mine who I met through his wife Krista. Krista and I worked together in Vancouver at the BC Forest Safety Council. Ellen and I and Scott and Krista have become very good friends over the years, and we look forward to their annual summer visit with us on Thetis Island. Enjoy Scott's reccomendation which follows: "When I was first asked by Keith to write a guest beer column, I must admit that I was more than excited. Finally, all those trips to the infamous Thetis Island retreat, the Rush Inn, weighed down by 6 pack after 6 pack of delicious micro beers, has paid off.  Not to mention the free pass entitled “research” I handed to Krista on the way in to the local beer store for research of course… I am beer aficionado who has enjoyed beers from over 55 countries, regularly targeting seasonal offerings, seeking out award winners and always trying to make the most out my beer drinking experiences.  So from my experiences to yours, cheers to your next beer. In my opinion, beer deserves a better reputation. Specifically, it deserves to be treated less as an afterthought and more as aforethought. It deserves to be sought out and meticulously matched to a memorable meal much the same way wine is.  Like wine, when treated properly, a good beer will reward you handsomely.  To get the most out of my beer, I follow three basic steps 1) serve it at the right temperature, 2) serve it in a beer glass and 3) enjoy its appearance, smell, taste and finish. This month, I would like to introduce you to an every day local lager that is always high on my shopping list. Whistler Premium Export Lager Brewed exclusively with silky soft Whistler Glacier Water, this multi-award winner is well worth a spot in your beer rotation. Notables A bright deep golden colour is the first thing to greet your eyes through the clear bottle and it only gets better looking when poured in your glass (accompanied by a nice head of course). Fortunately, the best is yet to come… A bit more malt then you might expect from a lager, this beer is nicely balanced by hints of citrus and wheat as it rolls across your palate. Finally, it finishes as strong as it starts bright and crisp. Food pairings: An excellent complement to salmon and Asian dishes, this beer can handle both spice and fat well. Awards Gold Medal: Best Beer, 2006 Festival of Ales Silver Medal: Best Pilsner, 2006 Canadian National Brewing Awards Price: $11.75 per 1/2 dozen bottles"   Wines: Cottesbrook Sauvignon Blanc, 2009 New Zealand Price: $15-17 UPC:009419453000887Score: 87/100 (AG) Remarks: The Cottesbrook Sauvignon Blanc is from the Marlborough region of NewZealand. 'This is a fun to drink white that smells of lemon grass, lightly smoked jalapeno, grapefruit and gooseberry. The palate is soft round and fresh'. A delicious wine all on its own or with any fish or light meat dish. I found this at Everything Wine in North Vancouver. Crios de Susanna Balbo Torrontes 2009, Salta, North Argentina Price: $15 UPC: 07798068480300 Score: 89/100 (AG) Remarks: 'A quintessential screw cap offering from Salta Argentina. Owner winemaker Susannah Balbo is the queen of torrontes and her 'hand-picked' hand made expression of this spicy, floral, high-altitude white wine is one of the best. Look for a dry, elegant, fresh palate with some weight and plenty of fresh lychees, nectarine skin flavours flecked with ginger'. I have been looking for a torrontes to recommend for some time now and believe we have a winner here. Wonderul as an aperitif and delicious with sushi, chicken and any fish dishes. It is reasonably available in BC. Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay 2009, Valle de Casablanca, Chile Price: $13 UPC: 07804320256900 Score: 87/100 Remarks: This is one of our 'go-to' Chardonnays. It is well made and eminently affordable, and enjoyed by my resident Chardonnay critic. 'It is so clean and fresh with a correct twist of lees adding complexity and body to its bright acidity and lemon apple fruit. Thirty percent of the wine is fermented in French oak but as usual it dissapears into the background'. This wine is readily available throughout BC and the States, buy it by the case. VISTALBA CORTE C, Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Argentina Price: $19.99 Skew: 12070 Score: 89/100 (AG) Remarks: 'This stunning wine offers the richness of Malbec with the noble charm of Cabernet. It has mouth coating flavours of macerated black forest fruits with a good crank of black pepper, cinnamon, expresso, dark chocolate, smoke, cassis and a long black cherry finish. This is a full bodied and thrilling $20 bottle that drinks like a $40 one - at least'. A wine that offers up its terrior and will improve for many years to come. We had this wine at brother Graham's and sisiter in law Suzanne's with roast venison sausages...superb. Fairly available in BC... San Pedro 35 South Shiraz Reserva 2009,Chile Price: $14 UPC: 007804300123321 Score: 87/100 (AG) Remarks: 'Delicious meaty, spicy, blueberry, black cherry, peppery, licorice root aromas. The palate is soft, fresh and dry with black cherry, licorice, peperry, smoky, savoury flavours'. Solid value here and a real winner around the BBQ. Ellen and I thoroughly enjoyed this with a grilled steak, mushrooms and home grown potatoes (which we are almost out of). I hope you enjoy this note and happy hunting... Keith Rush http://winerush.blogspot.com/    follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2011 Keith Rush, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are on Keith's Wine email list. Our mailing address is: Box 17-9 Thetis Island BC, V0R 2Y0 250-416-0013  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser

Wine Newsletter with a Guest Scotch Writer Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. January 2011 Wine Newsletter Happy New Year to all of you. I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas season. I would like to share a couple of highlights from the season for Ellen and I. First, we hosted a 'Solstice Party' at our place on Thetis Island. December 21st is a big day as the sun starts its journey back to the northern hemisphere. We had a house full of good friends, an outside bonfire, shagged a few golf balls out of the ocean in the dark, had an impostor take over 'Ruby's' (our mannequin) place in the yellow room and had lots of good food and drink. Coincidentally, Kelsey and Monica also had a Solstice Party at their place in Nanaimo, complete with a visit from the local police after a complaint about the music volume level...no such complaints at our place. The second, was the 'polar bear' swim New Years day. Thanks to Dave and Bev Greene for hosting that, and having a sauna to recuperate in. The water is shockingly cold at that time of year, but even so the eight hardy souls managed at least two 'swims' each. During the post swim gathering we thought it would be fun to have summer solstice swim. At least on June 21st the water will be a little warmer. Speaking of the girls, Kelsey is now in Spain in the city of Huelva, taking a two week Spanish course prior to her Global Studies semester starting in early February. Monica is hard at work in the third year of her degree in Graphic Design and is starting to look for a summer job in that field, http://monicarushdesign.com/  Ellen and I manage to keep busy between all there is to do on 3 acres of land, winter golf, firewood, running (Ellen is back running almost to pre-knee injury level) and the occasional trip to Vancouver. For those of you who know our little rescue dog Eddie, he is doing just great. He loves the snow and runs with us whenever we go, and is keeping the deer somewhat at bay at our place on Thetis. Guest Scotch Writer: We have a guest writer this month, and he won't be writing about wine. His name is Sandy Manson. My wife Ellen and Sandy went to high school together along with Sandy's wife Pamela. We were at a function in December, and Sandy and I were talking about wine, and he quickly confessed that he would much rather talk about scotch than wine. So after a bit of back and forth and some plotting, first on the agenda is Sandy's scotch story:  It was in May 1797, that the Manson brothers, John & Alexander established Glen Garioch, Scotland’s most Easterly distillery and now one of the oldest operating distilleries in Scotland. I had the pleasure of visiting the distillery in June of 2010 with my cousin Sandy Manson of the John Manson side of the family and me of the Alexander Manson side of the family.  It was quite a shock to the current owners of Glen Garioch to not only have two Sandy Manson’s show up but both being related to the founders.  Needless to say numerous tastings were the order of the day. The distillery is situated in the Valley of the Garioch, traditionally the finest barley growing area in all of Scotland.  The Garioch a tract of richly fertile land, some 150 square miles in extent is located near the small town of Oldmeldrum, approximately eighteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.  The district was known as ‘The Granary of Aberdeenshire’ as cereal crops have been abundant here for over a thousand years, and these combined with the crystal springs which supply Oldmeldrum made this an ideal location.  Glen Garioch 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whiskey (pronounced “Geery”) Price: $69 UPC: 5010496002193 Remarks from Sandy: The Glen Garioch 12 year old is matured in two wood groups: American Bourbon, and Spanish Sherry casks.  Each stage of the maturation adds distinct characteristics to the final single malt; Bourbon to soften the spirit and Sherry to add depth of flavor - the result, distinct honey sweetness with hints of heather and spice. If you like single malt scotch whiskey, try the 12 year old Glen Garioch, I believe you will enjoy it, perhaps in front of the fire on a cold winter night. Wines and a Recipe: Over the Christmas season, I/we had a number of occasions to taste some new wines, which I have described below. I make an attempt to get an idea how available the wines are, and have used a handy link to the BCLCB website that helps you track availability of wines in BC:  http://www.bcliquorstores.com/product/168294#WhereToBuyIt  You can see the availability of the Amalaya from Argentina in this link. Giesen Sauvignon Blanc 2008, New Zealand Price: $17 UPC: 009416040100012 Score: 87/100 (AG) Distributed by: International Cellars Remarks: A delicious New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, that was terrific as an aperitif with Brie cheese and stoned wheat thins. Long intense spicy, passion fruit/bell pepper flavours highlight this wine. I have seen it a number of government LCB stores around the region. Amalaya Tinto de Altura 2008/9, Calchaqui Valley, Salta Argentina Price: $20 UPC: 007798104763039 Score: 89/100 (AG) Distributed by: International Cellars. Remarks: 'Amalaya means waiting for a miracle, which apply describes finding a wine like this in BC.  From the highest vineyards in the world, this malbec, cabernet sauvignon, syrah and tannat offers a rich palate of sweet dark cherry fruit and white pepper with flecks of mineral and spice. The finish is long and fresh and spicy with silky textures that do not quit. Farmed bio-dynamically and certified in what is essentially the highest vineyard in the world'. We took this to a friends birthday gathering a few weeks ago. It received solid reviews and paired wonderfully with grilled beef and baked potatoes. I have noticed that this wine is readily available in the lower mainland...even at the Chemainus, Duncan, Nanaimo and Park Royal LCB stores. Valle Las Acequias Malbec Oak 2006, Medrano, Mendoza Argentina Price: $22 UPC: 007798067083731 Score: 90/100 (AG) Remarks: 'This wine is made from 85 plus year old vines and you can expect a big sweet New World nose with floral mineral undertones and fresh notes of cranberry and black fruits. The palate is awash in rich sweet, spicy, savoury fruit flavours with a warm vanilla brushed finish. Big, red and glossy, this will handle any grilled meat dish or old hard cheese'. Speaking of grilled meat, Ellen and I tested this with BBQ steaks, home grown potato oven fries, fresh kale and a salad. It was fantastic, the black berry fruits really stood out along with a very smooth and soft finish. This is a very good value wine...high score, an '06 vintage and it is remarkably available...even in the Chemainus LCB. For you Malbec lovers this wine is a no-brainer. Barbera da Vine 2007, Piedmont Italy Price: $15 UPC: 8010471003198 Score: 87/100 (AG) Remarks: 'Expect a smokey, peppery, black cherry, almond, meaty red flecked with tobacco, resin and dried herb aromas. The entry is fresh and supple with a slight tannic palate and a whack of cherry jam, orange peel, coffee, tobacco and floral licorice root flavours. It should age well for another two to three years in the bottle'. We had this with friends last week with spaghetti pasta covered with puttanesca sauce, topped with fresh Thetis Island tequila prawns. A fun label that tied in nicely with the background to 'puttanesca sauce'. Apparently Italian ladies of the night like this recipe because it was so quick and easy...it comes from the Whitewater Cookbook...and in case you don't have it...here it is: 1/2 C olive oil 1 2oz can of drained anchovy fillets 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes 4 cloves of garlic, crushed 2 cans diced tomatoes 1 jar (2.5 oz) drained capers 1/2 C pitted black olives (kalamata) chopped 2 tbsp parsley fresh black pepper fresh grated parmesan cheese Saute and mash anchovies, garlic, chili flakes and olive oil to form a paste. Add tomatoes, capers and olives. Stir while sauce comes to a bubbling simmer. Simmer uncovered for about an hour. Season with pepper, and just before serving add parsley. Garnish with cheese and serve with spaghetti. I hope you enjoy the  wines, the guest scotch write up and of course the recipe. Now, I know there are some budding guest writers out there. Do you have a favorite wine, food pairing with a recipe you would like to share? Are you a connoisseur of beer maybe, or gin or possibly mixed cocktails that you think others may like. Send me a note and we can try something different. Best Regards, and Cheers Keith Rush keithrush17@gmail.com  follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Our mailing address is: Box 17-9 Thetis Island BC V0R 2Y0 250-416-0013  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser

Christmas 2010 Wine Newsletter

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. December 2010 Wine Newsletter A Very Merry Christmas to you and your families... As you can see from the header, winter arrived early on the west coast of Canada. This year it was in November for goodness sakes. However, there are advantages to winters early arrival. For instance, we can start thinking about what wine we will serve with Christmas dinner, what wine would make the perfect hostess gift, what wine we will take to the next gathering and what port would be the tastiest beside the fire at the end of the day. After being away last year, Ellen, Eddie and I are looking forward to Christmas at home on Thetis Island...I have the perfect Charlie Brown fir tree picked out, we have lights in the trees outside, the ferry has a great set of lights on her and we have an Don and Gwen Hunter XL Chicken ordered for the big day. Kelsey and Monica will be joining us for Christmas dinner and part of the Christmas holidays. After Christmas we will be going to Vancouver as Kelsey will be leaving on the 28th for Spain. She will be spending the next semester there (January to July) in the city of Huelva on the southwestern coast of Spain, close to the southern border of Portugal...Vancouver Island University has an exchange agreement with the University of Huelva. Kels is in her 4th year of a degree in Global Studies...On the way she will spend some time in London visiting her cousin Carolyn, and we are looking forward to visiting her next spring...and sampling first hand some of the fantastic Spanish wines. If anyone has any Spanish travel tips they would like to share, please send them along. Monica is in her third year of a degree in Graphic Design at Vancouver Island University...and has only 3 semesters left. You can check out her website at: http://www.mediastudies.viu.ca/monicarush/site/home.html Wines: I have a really good line up of wines for you try this month, all of which would be welcome around the Christmas dinner table or take one, or better yet two bottles to your next Christmas gathering. You will notice that there are a couple of wines from Chile in this edition. I read an interesting article in Gismondi on Wine recently (around the time of the rescue of the Chilean miners) where he was bemoaning the fact that so few Chilean labels get listed in government liquor stores. He goes on to say; 'A quick tally of listings on the LCB website shows 1,130 wines of French origin, including a staggering 400 listing that sell for $100 or more per bottle (out of my range). A similar search for Chilean listings produces only 158 wines, of which four sell for more than $100 - and two of those are 16 - litre boxes of Chilean juice bottled in Cananda. In fact by volume Chilean wine (391,906 9L cases) is much larger than France (254,919 9L cases) in the province. The ratio is roughly 8:5 in favour of Chile although by value they are essentially equal: French table wine retail sales total $50.5 million; Chilean $50.1 million.' Having said all that, I hope you enjoy the Chilean listings below... Carmen Grand Reserva Carmenere 2008, Apalta Valley, Valle del Colchagua, Chile Price: $22 UPC: 00677758901240 Score: 89/100 AG; 89/100 Wine Access Magazine Remarks: This wine was a category champion at the International Value Wine Awards. From AG: 'This spicy black plum, cassis and floral scented carmenere is not only better, its cheaper than past years. Enjoy its supple, rich, smooth palate with bits of chocolate, pepper, tobacco, savory plum jam, cassis and tea flavours. There is both fruit and balance and intensity which is a rarity from most carmenere labels. Excellent value for the price. We shared this with a number of folks at a dinner gathering on Thetis last month. All 10 of us had a good sampling...and all gave a thumbs up to the wine. It paired wonderfully with chicken marbella. A good and somewhat eclectic choice for your Christmas turkey. Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008, Southeastern Australia Price: $17 UPC: 012354071445 Score: 88/100 Remarks:  'A solid red blend that will perform with a myriad of food possibilities.' This wine paired fabulously with BBQ steak, mushrooms, oven fries (our own potatoes) fresh from the garden beet tops and beets...and homemade focaccia bread. This is a solid 'go to' red in my books, and is readily available in BC and the States. Will work well at Christmas. Telmo Rodriguez Basa Rueda Blanco 2009, Castilla-Leon, Spain Price: $19 UPC: 08420759900017 Score: 90/100 Remarks: 'The new Telmo Rodriguez Basa Rueda Blanco 2009 is a delicious bottle of white wine. Floral, passion fruit, grapefruit, melon, lime and jalapeno aromas attract you to its fresh palate and creamy textures.' Ready to drink now and under a screw cap to ensure its freshness. We had this as an aperitif with Kelsey, Monica and one of their friends. Outstanding, and will go well with your Christmas bird... Grooner Gruner Veltliner 2009, Nierderosterreich, Weinland Osterreich, Austria Price: $17 UPC: 00089744754547 Score: 88/100 Remarks: We first sampled this at a tasting event for a home wine-making company. Friends at Thetis hosted the event (thanks Pat and Lucy) and Great Fermentations of Duncan brought 5 wines to sample and paired them up with appropriate appy`s. This very versatile food wine was the first on the list. Gruner Veltliner may not be for everyone, but if you are curious check this one from Austria out. You will love the mineral, grassy, green apple flavours that line the palate and then finish crisp. A very delicious food-style white that you can serve with a variety of seafood pasta dishes, shellfish and chicken...or have it on its own as an aperitif. It appears to readily available at government LCB stores, and would be fun to have on the Christmas dinner table. Santa Carolina Sauvignon Blanc Reserva  2010, Valle de Leyda, Valle de San Antonio, Chile Price: $12 UPC: 7804350596366 Score: 88/100 Remarks: `The palate is juicy and round with ripe guava, melon and jalapeno flavours`. Very good quality for the price. Sips well on its own as an aperitif, or with snacks before dinner. A great wine for crowds and casual settings. A couple of other Sauv Blancs from Chile to look for include: Santa Rita 120 Sauv Blanc, $10;  Quintay Clava SB $15 and from South Africa, Robertson Winery SB, $10. Locally the Mission Hill Five Vineyards, $14 is a good choice, as is the Bastianich Sauvignon 'B' from Italy, $20. Segura Viudas Cava Brut Rosado N/V, Pendes, Catalunya, Spain Price: $16 UPC: 000332933640004 Score: 88/100 Remarks: This Cava consistently over delivers for the price (you may remember this one from last Christmas). `Dry and fresh with nutty, cherry, baked pear and citrus flavours. It is the perfect tapas style bubble. The blend is a mix of trepat, garnacha and monastrall`. This vintner also makes a white Cava, that is equally delicious, and is also a very food friendly bubble. Makes a great hostess gift. Quinta do Crasto Late Bottled Vintage Port 2005, Douro Valley, Portugal Price: $27 UPC: 5604123002009 Score: 90/100 Remarks: As the last pick...crack open a bottle of this Late Bottled Vintage Port, and cosy up to the fire. LBV port will keep for days if not weeks in the bottle, allowing you to savour its attractive spicy, savoury floral nose flecked with dried cherries, plum jam amd licorice notes. Complex, ripe, rich, elegant, and slightly tannic palate, it is awash in chocolate, dried figs, cherry, mint and licorice root flavours. We had this the other night with a group of friends sitting around the fire with Ellen's famous chocolate cake in a canning jar...fantastic. It was the perfect end of the day sipper, it had both finesse and length...and it also would make an excellent hostess gift. Again, Best Wishes, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Cheers Keith Rush http://winerush.blogspot.com/ http://rushwinesandblog.blogspot.com/ Our mailing address is: Box 17-9 Thetis Island, BC V0R 2Y0 250-416-0013

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November 2010 Wine Newsletter

International Value Wine Awards...and a visit to the BC Okanagan Valley...

Canada's Wine Access Magazine has just published the results of their 5th annual International Value Wine Awards (IVWA). I will review some of their top choices in this issue and in subsequent notes. As a reminder the competition is an annual look at the best wines selling somewhere in Canada for under $25. If you haven't already, pick up a copy at your local news stand. The issue features more than 300 winning wines from 18 counties and is broken down by varietal, blend and by country. They also have a section on the top 25 killer values (under $15, with a raw score of 87 or more) and the top 15 wines under a screw cap.
The header on this note is from a vineyard of black grapes on the Naramata Bench in the BC Okanagan Valley. Naramata is just north of Penticton on Okanagan Lake. The bench is home to about 30 small wineries, including Lake Breeze, Red Rooster, La Frenz, Hillside and Ruby Tuesday. It is also home to Ron and Janis who were such great hosts on our visit...Thank You. The Okanagan really is stunning in the fall...especially when the weather is fine, and the grapes are being harvested and crushed.

Wines...
This is a really fine collection of labels to go looking for. The availability in BC is fairly good and our American friends may be able to find the French, Italian and Australian wines as well as the Riesling from the Columbia Valley.
As always, I love hearing back from folks on how things are going and whether you have been able to try any of the selections...
So...now on to the wines...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yalumba Y Series Shiraz Viognier, South Australia
Price: $15 - $18
Score: 87/100 AG; 89/100 Wine Access Magazine
Remarks: This wine is definitely worth the hunt, as it was a judges choice at the IVWA. I found it in Park Royal in West Van. We had this with our friends Ron and Janis in Naramata with roast beef. A superb pairing, soft round and supple with peperry, plummy earthy flavours with hints of spice.

 

 

 

 

 

Frescobaldi 2008 Remole, Tuscany Italy
Price: $12 - $16
Score: Wine Access Magazine 90/100
Remarks: This wine is a Category Champion at the IVWA for red single varieties. From Wine Access Magazine: "The Remole is a sangiovese that uses a touch of cabernet sauvignon (15 percent) to round out its profile. This is a modern chianti, with the cab bringing lots of cassis, despite occasionally obscuring the subtle notes of the sangiovese. The balance is good overall and the tannins give it some nice bight." This paired nicely with BBQ'd chicken, fresh beet tops caesar salad and rice. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Winds Syrah 2008, Vin de Pays d'Oc
Languedoc, France
Price: $14
UPC: 3760143270353
Score: 89/100 AG; 90/100 Wine Access Magazine
Remarks: This wine is another Category Champion from IVWA in the Syrah/Shiraz Category. From Wine Access Magazine: "Three Winds charmed the judges in the preliminary and final rounds with its spicy, smoked meat and savoury nose and fresh, tarry black cherry jam notes. The palate is soft and generous, with bits of mocha, black cherry, plum and liquorice root flavours. A delicious style for BBQ foods." I must admit that I am not very good with French wines...I find the labeling confusing (maybe because I haven't been to France since our honeymoon in 74/75)...but this wine says it on the label...it is a Syrah. I have had it number of times and have really enjoyed it. At $14 it is hard to go wrong. Availability at Government LCB stores seems to be good...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Familglia Bianchi Malbec 2007, San Rafael, Mendoza Argentina
Price: $18
UPC: 7790703167645
Score: 89/100 AG; 90/100 Wine Access Magazine
Remarks: Another Category Winner from the IVMA for the Malbec Category which was a real dog race apparently. From Wine Access Magazine: "This wine delivers both finesse and complexity that is generally associated with a higher price tag. San Rafael is south of Mendoza proper, but at more than 700 metres above sea level the grapes develop just fine. Perfumed and pretty, with raspberries, currants and a host of warm baking spices, this one isn't going to stain your teeth in the first few sips which should be reason enough to revisit this often-dismissed and overlooked varietal." We had this with friends the other week, with a delicious hot mustard rubbed pulled pork...well received.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling 2008, 
Columbia Valley, Washington
Price: $15
UPC: 088586621840
Score: 88/100 AG; 89/100 Wine Access Magazine
Remarks: Another Category Champion. Wine Access Magazine: "The elegant vibrancy of this wine allowed it to stand out in a category of excellent values. Bright and effusive floral and peach aromas are followed by lovely flavours of ripe pear, peach, apple and citrus fruits with a lively, refreshing acidity to balance the pleasant off-dry, mineral tinged finish. A versatile food wine with the ability to compliment everything from light salads and shellfish, to spicy Thai and Indian cuisine. Delicious, mouth-watering and eminently drinkable, this graceful wine shows harmony and balance beyond its modest price." Ellen and I tried this recently as an aperitif. It was delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Rooster Pinot Blanc 2009,
Okanagan Valley
Price: $17
UPC: 6811246800069
Score: 88/100 AG; 89/100 Wine Access Magazine
Remarks: This was a Category Champion in the White Single Varieties. Wine Access Magazine: "The much-maligned Pinot Blanc has again defied itss critics, producing a category champion. This grape continually produces great wines at great value prices. The Red Rooster is classic BC Pinot Blanc, with its good intensity on the nose, showing lemon, peach and pear aroma. The palate is balanced, with refreshing acidity, flavours of melon and pear and a medium long finish. Reliable, refreshing and affordable." We ahd this at Thanksgiving with our 'Hunter Chicken'...fabulous and worth the hunt. I found a bottle at the Beverley Corners Liquor Store in Duncan...and of course we picked up a couple of bottles while in the Okanagan.
Enjoy...
Best Regards
Keith Rush
http://winerush.blogspot.com/

October 2010 Wine Newsletter…

Canadian Thanksgiving Greetings to you all.

I hope that this note finds you well and looking forward to your family Thanksgiving gathering.  We will have Kelsey and Monica for dinner along with Ellen’s brother and sister in law (Tim and Pat), plus a couple of Thetis Island guests. A Gwen and Don Hunter chicken will be the center of attention on Sunday for us.  Their chickens and turkeys are amazing…raised on Thetis Island…they taste so much better, in my view, than the regular store bought ones. YUM.

I have reverted back to my old format while I work out some issues with the general email program…and in the process I may have missed a few folks and sent some that have opted out over the last year or so. My apologies to those folks.

Now, lets get on to the wines. Most of these would work well with your Thanksgiving turkey.

Little Year Pinot Noir 2008, Australia

Price: $15.

UPC: 09316562001739

Score: 87/100

Remarks: ‘Strawberry, liquorice, smoky, black pepper, tobacco, celery root nose with a touch of barnyard. Soft, round, easy palate with juicy strawberry, spicy, licorice, orange, dried herb flavours. Solid, forward style with fruit for immediate appeal. A value proposition here’. We had this with friends a couple of weeks ago with Chicken Marbella. It was thoroughly enjoyed bay all who had it. I must admit though I have had a hard time tracking this one down. I finally found at the LCB in Park Royal. I am always on the hunt for well priced pinot’s.

Blue Mountain Pinot Blanc 2009, Okanagan Falls, BC

Price: $18

UPC: 00626990024958

Score: 89/100

Remarks: ‘Positively swimming in bright fruit, showing bits of peach and apricot’. You will need to go to a specialty shop for this

pinot blanc that is made from two French clones, that is fermented half in old wood barrels and half in stainless steel tanks, thereby

preserving its delicate fruit. Excellent for halibut, salmon, clams or as an aperitif. ‘Easily one of the best Pinot Blancs in the valley’.

Escudo Rojo 2008, Chile

Price: $18

UPC: 00812485000013

Score: 89/100

Remarks: ‘A great pairing for roast lamb or with a favourite old cheese’. This is a blended red from the Valle del Maipo in Chile.

Is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), Carmenere (37%), Syrah (18%), and Cabernet Franc (5%). Expect an intense nose

of black raspberry flecked with bits of spice and tobacco. We had this with friends when we were in the Caribou…it received solid

reviews. This wine is well worth the hunt.

1884 Reservado Malbec 2009, Mendoza, Argentina
Price: $17
UPC: 00722358070008
Score: 88/100
Remarks: Killer value at $17. This is a wonderful classic Malbec with intense colour, peppery savoury fruit and rich character. It works well with anything on the BBQ. We have had it a number of times over the summer always to very good reviews. This wine is readily available in BC, even at the Chemainus LCB.

Trivento Cabernet Malbec Reserve 2008, Mendoza Argentina

Price: $13

UPC: 7798039590137

Score: 88/100

Remarks: ‘Soft fat savoury fruit with bits of mocha, licorice and black cherry jam’. A terrific value wine that is readily available at most BC LCB outlets.

Enjoy the hunt for these wines…

Best Regards…

Keith

Keith W. Rush RPF

keithrush17@gmail.com

Cell: 604-889-5357