Anthony Gismondi: A wine tasting, with science on the side
Credit to Author: agismondi| Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2019 18:00:50 +0000
Vancouver wine and drinks mogul Anthony von Mandl and his Iconic Wineries of British Columbia are partnering with Science World to present a unique evening branded Uncorked: A Celebration of the Science of Wine.
The one-night stand on Nov. 14, is a collaboration between von Mandl’s internationally acclaimed winemakers, viticulturists and chefs and Science World staff linking science to the art of making wine in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.
The walkabout event is designed to insert attendees into the intricate and complex world of fine wine, touching on the science behind much of its creation via interactive seminars, Q&A sessions and hands-on activities. Best of all you get to taste an exceptional lineup of quality B.C. wines with the people who make them.
Winemaker Ben Bryant is the new man on the block at Mission Hill, the current National Wine Awards 2019 Canadian Winery of the Year. Bryant will pour four terrific wines: 2017 Reserve Meritage ($27), 2018 Terroir Collection Jagged Rock Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc-Semillion ($30), the 2017 Terroir Collection Cabernet Franc ($50), and 2014 Quatrain ($75) from the Legacy series.
From across the lake, CedarCreek Estate Winery winemaker Taylor Whelan, who heads up a three-decade-old property with an all-new winery, visitor centre, and restaurant, is hard at work converting his property to an all-organic site. Whelan will pour 2018 Estate Sauvignon Blanc ($19), 2018 Platinum Riesling ($30), 2016 Estate Pinot Noir ($27) and 2017 Platinum Syrah ($50).
CheckMate Artisanal Winery is pursuing Chardonnay and Merlot in a manner no other winery has: by exploiting single-vineyard sites on both sides of the south Okanagan. Winemaker Phil McGahan will be in town pouring 2015 Attack Chardonnay ($115), 2015 Fool’s Mate Chardonnay ($80), 2014 Opening Gambit Merlot ($85) and 2014 Silent Bishop Merlot ($85).
Winemaker Shane Munn has a dream job at Martin’s Lane Winery, where gravity is the mainstay of gentle wine movement. Munn makes only Riesling and Pinot Noir at his spectacular east Kelowna winery. It will be a treat to taste his 2014 Naramata Ranch Riesling ($55), 2015 Fritzi’s Vineyard Riesling ($65), 2014 Simes Vineyard Pinot Noir ($100) and 2015 DeHart Vineyard Pinot Noir ($100).
Finally, Road 13 Vineyards general manager Joe Luckhurst will be pouring his multiple award-winning Rhone-style wines from the Golden Mile Bench, including 2017 Roussanne ($26), 2017 Viognier ($21), 2017 Jackpot Syrah ($40), and 2017 Syrah Malbec ($32).
It’s not all wine; there will be food prepared by chef Patrick Gayler from Mission Hill’s Terrace Restaurant and chef Neil Taylor will present culinary offerings from CedarCreek’s stylish new, Home Block Restaurant in East Kelowna.
As for the science connection, seminars available throughout the evening will include Synthesis: The Science of Blending Wine, Evolution: The Science of Aging Wine, Innovation: Technology and the Modern Organic Vineyard, Terroir: The Science of Soil. Add to that a sparkling wine lounge, silent auction, blind tastings, and other activities developed by the Science World team.
I’ve been saying the standard walkabout wine tasting has been dead for some time, so I’m looking forward to seeing how this more interactive evening of sharing inside information appeals to wine consumers.
Tickets are a modest $89 and are available through Science World. All proceeds, thanks to Mr. von Mandl’s wineries, go to support Science World’s On the Road program. Last year these live science performances touched 41,500 students throughout B.C. who otherwise might not have had a chance to visit Telus World of Science.
See you there.
Road 13 Roussanne 2017, Similkameen Valley
$25.22 | 88/100
UPC: 626990331834
Exotic, intense, complex, unctuous, mineral are all words you can use to describe this giant white wine. The nose is a mix of white florals that preview a fat sumptuous wine that is as big on texture as it is on flavours. The fruit is whole cluster pressed and fermented in various containers, including concrete eggs, stainless steel barrels and older French oak barrels. Look for rich honeyed pear, pineapple, creamy lees, and vanilla sprinkled with brown spices. Lobster, crab, or roasted chicken work here. Fasten your seat belts.
Mission Hill Terroir Collection Jagged Rock Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon 2018, Okanagan Valley
$29.99 | 92/100
UPC: 776545991416
From the southern Okanagan’s Jagged Rock Vineyard, this white Meritage is a 60/40 mix of Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, aged in a combination of stainless and French oak. There is exceptional intensity here, with a layer of texture and complexity. On the palate, there is a delightful mix of white fruits, honey, grapefruit, and a touch of Okanagan sagebrush and stony minerality. A superb wine with the ability to improve in bottle through 2021, and perhaps beyond. Seriously well done.
Martin’s Lane Naramata Ranch Vineyard Riesling 2014, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley
$65 | 93/100
UPC: 776545992932
We love the ultra bright and electric style of the Naramata fruit. Juicy, inviting and delicious, it is super fresh but doesn’t threaten to peel the enamel off your teeth. Naramata Ranch sits at the very northern end of the Naramata Bench before it runs up against the mountains on the way to Chute Lake. The site spans several elevations where the soils, or perhaps better said rocks, are a mix of red granite on the surface over granite bedrock with no grass or cover crop.
CedarCreek Pinot Noir 2017, Okanagan Valley
$26.99 | 89/100
UPC: 778913032523
The CedarCreek estate Pinot is easy drinking, mixing soft round red cherry and strawberry fruit with earthy spicy undercurrents. A mix of sites and clones and flavours, it comes with unexpected complexity — or at least one more expected of reserve offerings. It’s made with uncertified organic fruit that is fermented in stainless steel and concrete before spending 12 months in French barriques. We love its purity and ease of drinking style. Think grilled pork chops, lamb skewers, chorizo pizza or a salmon burger.
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Opening Gambit Merlot 2014, Okanagan Valley
$85 | 94/100
UPC: 776545800268
Opening Gambit — 90 per cent Merlot, 10 per cent Petit Verdot — is quickly becoming my favourite Checkmate Merlot thanks to a stunning nose. The fruit is wonderfully aromatic despite its warm Osoyoos East Bench site so neatly tucked up against the U.S. border. The hill is steep (1083 to 1437 feet above sea level) and undulating, pitching the vines over various expositions to the sun that, in the end, delivers a hedonistic red. Iodine, black cherries and blackcurrants spill from the glass, inviting you into the wine. Initially, the wine presents delicious dark, ripe fruits before the tannins begin to set in. Dense long and supple, they suggest time in the bottle is the message here. A very sexy Merlot with impressive texture, and it is very food-friendly.
Set up your barbecue for indirect heat and get out that little wood chip tray. It’s out there somewhere. Marcus Bawdon is a giant on the British barbecue circuit and his new book Food & Fire definitely uses a few techniques you won’t see much on this side of the pond. His influences are truly global as you can see in this lamb rack flavoured with a red chimichurri.
Preheat your grill for indirect cooking at 285 to 320 F (140 to 160 C) with the lid on. Add hardwood chunks or chips to the coals or smoke tray
1 rack of lamb
Coarse sea salt and ground black pepper
Chimichurri rojo:
2 garlic cloves
½ red onion
Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley and oregano
½ cup (125 mL) olive oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) tomato paste
Pinch of smoked paprika
Splash of red wine vinegar
Good pinch of coarse sea salt
Season the rack of lamb with sea salt and black pepper, to taste.
To make the chimichurri rojo, blitz all the ingredients in a food processor or using a hand blender until you have a smoothish paste. If you wish, loosen the paste with a little more olive oil.
Pop the rack on the barbecue next to the flame, but not directly over it. Cook gently with the lid on for about an hour. The fat will start to crisp up, but check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the meat reaches 130°F (55°C). Make sure to turn the rack around every 10 minutes, so it cooks through evenly. Brush the chimichurri over the lamb in the final stages of the cook — about 5 minutes before the end of the cook is fine.
Cut the lamb into thick, blushing cutlets and brush with some more chimichurri rojo.
Make 4 servings.
A slow-smoked lamb rack slather in a chimichurri rojo requires a big red wine, and Syrah is the ticket.
Le Vieux Pin Syrah Cuvée Violette 2017, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, $26.99
Roasted meats, crushed violets, grilled plums, cracked peppercorns, plump tannins and a peppery finish will stand up to the lamb.
Hester Creek Syrah Viognier 2017, Okanagan Valley, $25.99
The palate is ripe, with floral, ripe cherries and blueberries and a lick of minerality that should subdue the chimichurri sauce and the rich lamb flavours.
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