The Globe in Your Glass

We were excited to be invited to attend the 2009 Globe in Your Glass wine event at the Pan Pacific Hotel, in support of the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. The general idea behind the event was to showcase the wide variety of wines offered by new world vineyards. Some of the featured wineries included; Barossa Valley Estate, Hardy’s, Inniskillin Wines, Jackson-Triggs, Kim Crawford, Nk’Mip, Osoyoos Larose, Ravenswood, Robert Mondavi Winery, See Ya Later Ranch and Sumac Ridge Estate Winery.

We started the evening with a ‘Media Blind Tasting’ where we were presented with 15 new world wines all available for purchase for under $20. Ballots were circulated, notes were taken and dreams were dashed. Suffice to say, blind tasting is more difficult than it sounds, as the winner of the tasting emerged with 7 correct guesses out of 15 wines. We both really enjoyed the format of the blind tasting and found it a great way to challenge our pallets and to compare varietals, side by side. A few of our favourite picks from the blind tasting included:

• Woodbrige by Robert Mondavi Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($9.99)
• Jackson-Triggs Esprit VQA Chardonnay 2007 ($12.99)
• Hogue Cellars Genesis Merlot 2004 ($19.99)
• Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 ($19.99)

During the media tasting we also had the opportunity to compare the 2005 and 2006 Le Grand Vin from Osoyoos Larose. The 2005 was the ‘bigger’ wine of the two with stronger tannins and more pronounced flavours. Both wines are worth trying but we definitely look forward to pulling the 2005 out of the cellar in the near future to pair with a hearty winter dinner!

Wines that left an impression!
The event itself was well-suited to exploring new wines and conversing with winemakers, restaurateurs and your everyday wine lover. Two of our favourite ‘stops’ around the room included the tables of Barossa Valley Estates and See Ya Later Ranch.

While chatting with Jamie, Assistant Wine Director at CinCin, who had finagled his way into pouring for the folks at Barossa, we learned that they were hiding a secret under the table… a bottle of the Barossa Valley 2004 Ebenezer Shiraz ($40). On top of the table, they showcased the 2004 E&E Black Pepper Shiraz ($100) and the 2005 E Bass Shiraz ($20). When comparing the top two tiers, Jamie explained that the difference in the quality of grapes used in the Black Pepper and the Ebenezer is almost indistinguishable…and mentioned something about the margin being “length of a bee’s dick”. Both wines share big, complex flavours with spice, big black fruit and hints of licorice. The main difference between them being that the Ebenezer (at the short end of the bee’s dick) is accessible for drinking now and the Black Pepper is still quite tight and would benefit from a few more years in your cellar.

Dave Carson, the Senior Winemaker from See Ya Later Ranch was busy pouring and entertaining across the room. Like their winemakers, the wine we tasted was friendly, accessibile and full of flavour. We sampled the 2008 Pinot 3 and the 2007 Riesling. Both wines were well balanced with crisp flavours that represented the varietals used. If you’re ever up in Okanagan Falls we recommend stopping in and discovering the story behind the label!

BC vs. Ontario: The battle of the Icewines
Inniskillin was another winery that was out in full force, representing their vineyards from both the Okanagan and Niagara. Two of the wines that they were pouring were the Vidal Icewine 2006 (BC) and the Olympic Series Vidal Icewine 2007 (ON). Where the BC version came out punching with peaches, apricots and hints of lavender the Ontario version provided a less complex and more syrupy bouquet of raisins.

Some other wines worth mentioning:
Inniskillin Chenin Blanc 07
This crisp wine had an excellent balance of acid and bits of starfruit on the tongue that balanced nicely against very delicate, sweet notes.

Nk’Mip Pinot Blanc 2007 ($16.99)
A light, refreshing wine with loads of mineral characteristics on the nose and the palate.

Woodbridge 2007 Sauvignon Blanc
This wine was made for your patio. Fresh and clean with notes of honey and rocks and just the slightest hint of sweetness on the palate.

Nk’Mip Pinot Noir 2007 ($19.99)
A wonderful Pinot Noir for it’s value. Just enough oak, balanced with cherries and soft, smooth tannins.

Banrock Station Shiraz
The first words out of our mouths were “Where’s the fire?” This wine has a deep, smoky character and would likely pair well as an everyday dinner wine with grilled steak.

Inniskillin Meritage 2006
A hearty blend full of plums and spice and a great example of a balanced Meritage. Random Fact: The vines for this wine are all managed exclusively by the vintner on the estate.