Good evening folks;
I hope this note finds you well and looking forward to some family time this coming weekend. Both girls with their B/F's will be with us for dinner as will our 'third' daughter Nicole and her husband Jason. So...I wanted to get these selections out to you prior to the Thanksgiving weekend. The Viognier and Zinfandel featured below will pair particularly well with your turkey or chicken.
BELLINGHAM SAUVIGNON BLANC CHARDONNAY 2008, COASTAL REGION, SOUTH AFRICA
Price: $16
UPC: 06001506001984
Score: 88/100
Remarks: 'The perfect summer sipper on the patio or at the table'. I have been on the hunt for this since early May. It has shown up recently at many LCB locations. It was well worth the wait. First off, it is a wine that both Ellen and I enjoy, and its fresh lively citrus and tropical fruit flavours with a dollop of pineapple offer a great weight and length in bright fresh style. With a screw cap...even better.
BODEGA LURTON PINOT GRIS 2008, VALLE DE UCO, TUNUYAN, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
Price: $12.50
UPC: 00635335320211
Score: 87/100
Remarks: 'Year after year, this presents continued good value'. A fabulous Pinot Gris. This is one of my new favourite 'go to' Grigio/Gris wines. Good availability in the lower mainland.
STORK'S TOWER SAUVIGNON BLANC-VERDEJO 2008, SPAIN
Price: $15
UPC: 0084159002115
Score: 88/100
Remarks: 'A fresh, aromatic white wine with a sense of harmony and balance'. An flavourful blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo. We had this with cold BBQ'd chicken and a great big garden salad. Delicious, and very good value.
PAUL MAS VIOGNIER 2008, L'HERAULT, LANGUEDOC, FRANCE
Price: $13
UPC: 3760040420127
Score: 89/100
Remarks: 'This is a blend of viognier fruit from cool and warm sites using young and old vines with relatively low yields with fewer bunches per vine to better concentrate the flavour of the grapes. On the palate, peach and honey mix effortlessly with a creamy lees character. Very serious value'. I brought this to a recent birthday gathering that featured roast beef. It was a great match and will go really well with your Thanksgiving turkey. Availability appears to be good. Killer value. Other Viognier's to consider: Anakena from Chile ($16) Yalumba Y Series from Australia ($18), Clay Station from California ($20), Cono Sur Limited Reserve from Chile ($11).
TERRA D'ORO ZINFANDEL SHR FIELD BLEND 2006, AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Price: $22 (above my limit, but I love Zin)
UPC: 009460000124
Score: 89/100
Remarks: 'Field blend is a mix of different grapes in the same vineyard. Look for fresh liquorice, tobacco, cedar, vanilla, earthy, peppery aromas in a supple forward style'. We tested this at a small family gathering and got a huge thumbs up. It will go well with your Thanksgiving turkey, or any grilled meats...or cellar for a couple of years. Availability is a question mark. I have only seen it at the Park Royal LCB...but check other signature stores. Other Zins to consider: Wingnut(about $20); Painter Bridge (about $14); Shenandoah an organic wine (about $20); Cline (about $20); 7 Deadly Zins (about $27), all from California, and all readily available in BC.
From time to time I get asked about cellaring or aging wine. Here are a few things to consider. Generally speaking almost every bottle of wine will get better in the bottle. So it doesn't hurt to rest a bottle for a few weeks or months in a cool quiet place to allow the wine to recover from the shock of being bottled, shipped and bounced around in its early life. Again, generally speaking, red wines keep longer than whites, and most whites keep longer than rosé. Having said all this, many wines are not made to be aged, and will not improve no matter how long you leave them. For example, the rosés that we looked at earlier in the summer are meant to be consumed now, while it remains fresh and its primary fruit flavours are distinct. Similar rules would apply to most dry aromatic whites like chenin blanc, gewürztraminer, sauvignon blanc and unoaked chardonnay. According to gismondionwine, price can also be a guide; few wines under $15 are designed for aging. Those that may improve with age would be red and contain large amounts of cabernet, syrah, mourvedre, possibly malbec and/or zinfandel, along with rich tannic varieties from France and southern Italy. As red wine is fermented on its skins and often aged in wood, red wine contains tannin and when combined with the right amount of acidity and alcohol, all in balance, it can live a long life...a decade or more for the top vintages. If you enjoy drinking red wine young, you will see significant improvement in mouth feel and texture if you age everything three to five years. The better the producer, the wine and the vintage the longer you can wait. Remember that all wine was made to drink sometime. I for one need to heed that advice...
The newest Mr. & Mrs. Mattson. Brother in law Darcy and new sister in law Debbie (along with ring bearer Toby) tie the knot on Mt Washington, September 29th, 2009. Fabulous wedding. Congratulations Darc and Deb, it went without a hitch, you did a fantastic job.
I thought I would include a brief family update. Kelsey and Monica (who just turned 23) are back at school at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo. Kelsey is pursuing a degree in Global Studies where she is in her third year. Monica completed a diploma in Tourism and now is working on a degree in Graphic Design where she is in her second year. Ellen and I are spending a lot of time on Thetis these days. Ellen has just started a course on 'Color' at Vancouver Community College which is part of the Interior Design curriculum, which she is thoroughly enjoying.
I have started to look for contract work or a project to work on where I can make a contribution. My 'default' place to look is the forest sector and the safety file. I would welcome any feedback, suggestions or ideas from any or all of you.
As always, I really enjoy your comments and updates...and you can find any back issues on my blog site: www.winerush.blogspot.com
Best Regards...and Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving...
Keith
Keith W. Rush, RPF
Cell: 604-889-5357
