Herder "Josephine" 2007 Similkameen Valley, BC

The 2007 Josephine is a blend of 66% Merlot, 21 % Cabernet Franc and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon coming from various vineyards in the Upper Bench of B.C and aged in French oak for twelve months.
Ripe aromas of berry fruits, sweet spice, chocolate, open to background notes of red currant and plum.  Left to decant for 2 hours, this wine was silky, round and the tannins had softened.
Josephine  is a superb accompaniment to grilled red meats, sausages, hearty stews and aged cheeses such as cheddar and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
I purchased this wine in Alberta for $48, I plan to order a case when I get home.  Decant and drink now.  Will be interesting to see how it develops over time.

B.C. Private Wine Stores $40.00  BUY

Calona 2010 Opal Sovereign

I'm not a huge fan of white wines.  I love big bold red's, but there are times when I feel like a nice white sipping wine and one of those times is when I go out for Indian food.  You would think that a red would be the wine of choice for Indian food, but I prefer a white.

The first time I had Sovereign Opal was about a month ago, I had never heard of this wine before.  We were out for Indian food and I ordered a white, which was unavailable so the waiter recommended the Sovereign Opal, a VQA wine from the Calona Vineyards in the Okanagan Valley and is a hybrid grape.
The minute you smell this wine you just know it is going to be amazing.  I don't like my white wines to be tart and I don't like them to be too sweet either, and this wine was the perfect balance, medium-bodied with tropical fruits.  I fell in love with this wine so much, that when I got home I ordered 2 cases directly from the Vineyard.  At $12.99 a bottle,  this is a great buy and sure to improve with more time in the bottle.
I loved this wine so much I had to send Jim a bottle to get his opinion.

What did you think of this wine Jim?

Pairing: Indian food, cheese and crackers and is great as a lazy Sunday afternoon sitting on the porch sipping wine.

Recommendation: BUY

Toffee Chunk 2010 Syrah

I was making a South African Bredie (stew) last night and I wanted a big and unique wine from South Africa that could handle and compliment the complex flavours of the cardamom, ginger, fennel, nutmeg and the hint of sweetness from the added dried mangoes, that were in this stew.

Toffee Chunk seemed like the perfect choice and it didn't disappoint. From the Simonsvlei producers, this wine was created for wine drinkers looking for a very unique, flavourful wine.

 In South Africa where coffee flavoured Pinotages are popular, the Toffee Chunk has a deep ruby colour, dominate aromas of toffee with a hint of sweetness and a lingering smokiness. I recommend that you decant this wine to release the full flavour profile.

Pairing: Rich stews

Recommendation: Buy

Swartoog Ertjies En-Groente Bredie (Black-Eyed Peas and Vegetable Bredie-South Africa Bredie is a popular stew in South Africa. Black-eyed peas have been popular in African cooking and are also popular in southern United States.

• Ingredients:
  1 cup black-eyed peas (black-eyed beans)
  1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon virgin olive oil
  1 medium leek or large onion, chopped
  1 garlic clove, minced
  1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
  1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  8 oz potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
  2 large, vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  1 medium red, orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
  1 1/4 cups vegetable stock
  1/4 cup tomato paste
  2 cups shredded Swiss chard (silver-beet) leaves, tightly packed
  1/2 cup of chopped dried mangoes (dried apricots or pitted prunes)
  1/2 cup chopped fennel
  1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
  
  Directions:
  Place the black-eyed peas (I wasn't able to find black-eyed peas, so I bought a bag of "bean soup mix" and picked out black-eyed peas and black beans) in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 1 hour. Drain the peas and return to the saucepan and add fresh water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, until tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the leek, garlic and ginger and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cardamom, fennel seeds and nutmeg to the onions and cook to develop the flavour of the spices, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, bell pepper, stock and tomato paste. Bring to a boil and stir well. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
  
  Serves 4