County Cider 2000 County2000 Sparkling Cider

Well, I wasnt really expecting much, so I wasnt too disappointed with this "wine." Methode Traditionelle but didnt develop much effervescence. Very weak cider taste remiscent of apple cider than has been left too land and started fermenting again. If you like your sparkling wines (as I do), stick with one made from grapes. You will want to take a pass on this apple one.

Osoyoos Larose 2002 Le Grand Vin

I was lucky enough to find a local organic vegetable market, and finally find the local Cheese shop, so tonight was a BBQ beef sausage, and organic vegetables night ... and Shropshire cheese for dessert. OMG, what wine should I choose? My office manager and friend Judy had bought me the Osoyoos Larose '02 for Christmas (at the insistense of the wine clerk since she knows nothing about wines) and I had been saving it for an occasion. Tonight was the night.

57% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Medium bodied with lots of legs. Beautiful dark burgundy red. Notes of red fruit and berries. Solid tannins. A lovely clean finish.

The bottle label explains the experiment (how and why it is made), but the vines are so young that this can only get better with each new vintage. Definitely a keeper, but stay tuned for even better things to come.

Hillside Estates 2005 Muscat Ottonel

I always jump at the chance to try a new Muscat (I love them for their unique fruit character.) The Hillside version is very light flavoured, but still exhibits the peach and pear that I love. Virtually no citrus. Very pale in colur but a nice clean finish.

Vineland Estates 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon

I visited Vineland Estates for the first time a year ago and regretted passing them by in the past. Since 2002 was such a terrific year for reds in Niagara, I chose a 02 Cab Sauv. It was worth the wait. Beautifully deep ruby red and good legs, the wine virtually explodes with ripe berry. A pleasant clean finish. Structured tannins should make this a fantastic wine in 2-3 years. A beautiful wine from a very lovely winery.

Black Hills Estate Winery 2004 Nota Bene

Well, after realizing how difficult it was to purchase the '03 Nota Bene I got my name on the mailing list with Black Hill's Estate Winery so I could purchase directly and not miss out on the 'o4 Nota Bene. I ordered two cases. By their release date of May 1st, 2006 they were completely sold out of all 2,800 cases. You can still purchase this wine from restaurant wine lists. This Bordeaux style blend is made up of 46/36/18. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc. The color of this wine is a vibrant garnet with aromas of cherries, mint, pepper and tobacco. The flavors include red currants, black olives and dill. Because of it's youth it really needs to be decanted for an hour. In 5 to 7 years this promises to be an outstanding wine and I for one am looking forward to that. If you happen to be travelling there is a great little restaurant in Canmore, AB, called the Copper Door. The chef/owner is an avid wine collector. He has added the 1999 thru to 2004 Nota Bene from his own private collection onto the wine list. You will pay top $$ for it. I sampled the 2002 Nota Bene when there in July, $150 a bottle.

Black Hills Estate Winery 2003 Nota Bene

Having moved to beautiful Vancouver, BC a year and a half ago, I was excited to start tasting what BC had to offer. On this particular Fri. night I ordered Black Hills Estate Winery's, 2003 Nota Bene to go with the tapas I was having. I had never heard of this wine and had no idea what to expect. With the first sniff I was blown away by the aroma of plums, black cherries and just a hint of earthy tobacco. It is dry, round and oh so smooth on entry with supple tannins. Spicy, peppery, vanilla, tobacco leaf and licorice flavors, balanced with a long plush finish. I was hooked from that moment on. This Bordeaux style wine is made of 46/34/20 Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc and has a cult like following. I can see why. Good luck in finding any. BC was sold out by the time I discovered this little jewel. I purchased the last 20 bottles from my favorite little wine store in Banff, AB last November. Another couple of years and this wine should really bloom with fruit tones.

Hillebrand 2004 Muscat Reserve

Okay, another confession - I love a good Muscat. This one is decent. Nice taste of peach and mango (and some citrus) with a very interesting hint of lavender. Nice clean finish. Its widely available at this writing.

Strewn 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon

I bought this wine in 2004 (it was one of the last 6 bottles they had) and cellared it for 2 years. A nice wine with full fruit. Lots of legs and a great smooth finish.

Peller Estates Cristalle

If you need a nice celebratory sparkling wine, this may be the one for you (it is probably my favourite.) Nicely dry, but a dosage of icewine has been added so it has the slightest hint of sweetness. An excellent accompaniment to almost anything, or nice for sipping on the porch, or in front of a fire. Try a bottle ... but make sure you invite me over before you open it.

De Souza 2002 Cabernet Franc

k, time to catch up on a few reviews. This wine was not something I would recommend. Not particularly fruitful and a harsh lingering aftertaste.

Puddicombe Estate 2002 Reisling Reserve

I am not a great fan of Reisling. I always find them too citrusy for my taste. Quite by accident I sampled this Reisling from Puddicombe and it instantly became one of my all-time favourites. A lovely balanced wine with tastes of tart apple and a hint of sweetness to balance. A very clean finish.

More wine clubs

I have been searching for wine clubs in the area and all I can find are Winemaking clubs (yawn, not interested.) I may have to approach the local wine merchants and see if they want to sponsor/support a local club and start my own. The search goes on.

Black Prince 2004 Zweigelt

I bought this at Black Prince last year and thought I would give it a try. First, its non-VQA but is made from 100% PEC grapes. Definitely needs more time to age, though it is weak in tannins. Light body, virtually no legs. Pleasant taste though I got a different taste with each mouthful. Nice cranberries in one, more earthy with the next. Best left to lighter meals, like soup.

Fork in the Road 2003 Oliver Block 249 Red

For my last BBQ, I opened a red that was highly recommended by friends. A very nice blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot and Shiraz. Tastes of Blackberry or brambleberry with hints of chocolate. Silky smooth with a very nice finish.

Carmela Estates 2001 Cabernet Franc

I decided to BBQ again tonight and chose a wine I wasn't really sure of. The wine is fairly nondescript. Nice colour, but no legs to speak of. Decent fruit (cherry) and a hint of vanilla & chocolate. A nice soft finish. Nothing to write home about, but certainly worth the $14 (or less if I recall correctly.)

Hawthorne Mountain 2003 SYL Brut

I admit it, I love sparkling wines. When I visited Hawthorne Mountain (you have to be a mountain goat to get there), I tried several of their wines, but really liked their champagn... oops, can't call it that any more, can I ... their "See Ya Later Ranch" sparkling wine. I pulled it out of the cooler last night to help celebrate. Nice and crisp some citrus zest and pear. A good wine to sip on the porch on a warm summer night.

Hernder 1999 Chardonnay

Sometimes it pays to be a cheapass. I bought a bottle of this $8.95 Chardonnay not expecting much. Imagine my surprise when I discovered its almost as good as the best chardonnay I have ever tasted. Deep gold colour, and very smooth with a nice viscosity. Very buttery with hints of vanilla. A pleasantly long finish.

Hillebrand 1999 Chardonnay

I have been saving this wine for a while and decided the last day of my vacation was as good a time as any. This is Hillebrand's "Showcase" Unfiltered Chardonnay "on its lees". Lovely golden colur - though cloudy due to the lees. Buttery with very light citrus. Lingers on the palate.

Mountain Road 2001 Cab Franc

For dinner I decided to BBQ steaks and curry lamb sausage. For some reason the Mountain Road 01 Cab Franc seemed to jump out of the wine rack. Deep colour and full bodied with lots of legs. Very fruity and a bit jammy (raspberries) with hints of tobacco. A nice clean finish.

Peller 2003 Gewurztraminer

OK I admit it - Gewurtz is not a wine I would normally buy or even try (I have always found them a bit too citrusy for my taste.) But I was able to enjoy this wine. An excellent balance of tartness and sweetness. A lovely perfume to the nose with taste of some lychee and a little grapefruit. A nice clean finish that doesnt linger long. I may change my mind about Gewurtz.

Tinhorn Creek 2003 Pinot Noir

When I visited Tinhorn Creek last week, I was offered a tasting of the 03 Pinot Noir. Very light bodied and some red berry. I tasted lots of tobacco and earthy spices. Some aftertaste and a bit of a long finish. I bought a case and will probably put it down for a couple of years. All in all a decent value.

Red Rooster 2005 Viognier

I tried the 05 Viognier from Red Rooster yesterday. Some tropical fruits (kiwi, etc) with just a hint of citrus. Relatively inexpensive for a difficult to find wine.

Looking for clubs

I searched for local wine clubs this morning and it doesnt look very positive. Apparently there are more foodies than winos locally. O well, the search continues.

Back

I returned from BC after a week. The mountains are terrirfic. The wine was worth buying.

I drove to the local wine making shop where I normally buy my wine racks to purchase another 104 bottle module and a couple of cubes. Much to my disappointment, they have raised their prices dramatically. The 28 bottle cube that was $40 is now $50. The 104 bottle rack that was $129 is now $149. Needless to say, they will have to find a new customer. I left and have no reason to go back.