Wine Community

There is an incredible amount of wine to taste,  700 plus, here is my strategy & a PARTIAL list of wines to taste

Make a Plan

Get on the festivals web site and pick the wines you want to taste in advance, see my list below

Don’t Wear Perfume or Cologne

Self explanitory

It Gets Hot in the Room Part 1

Wear good shoes, pumps for women and good support it’s a long night, seen ladies walking in bear feet at the end of the night

Arrive Early

Need I say more?

Elbows Up

The room gets crowded too, move ahead with your shoulder while keeping your glass protected behind you, if all else fails, elbow your way through

It Gets Hot in the Room Part 2

Get a small plastic bottle of Evian and put it in your pocket this way you wont have to fight for water – hydrate

Opposite Day

Go where the people are not

Star System

Make your own rating system, I use a star system anyting above three stars is a must buy, if you don’t know the price put a $? Beside the wine then ask or find the price. Or write killer, VG, Ex for excellent

It Gets Hot  in the Room – Part 3

Wear clothes that breathe – or none at all

Stained teeth

Wait several hours before brushing your teeth, if you brush too soon it weakens your enamel. I am serious about this.

Bring a Credit Card

This is obvious

WHAT TO TASTE

I am presently in France, I looked at the Wine Festivals web site, it does not list specific wines, so knowing what I know here is PARTIAL  list of wines to taste

CHILE

Since this is the themed country let’s start here

Vina Montes

All their high-end wines, killer

 

Emiliano

The star of Organic & Bio-Dynamic wines see what the fuss is about

Vina Errazuriz

Had a great visit there super wines, hope they pour high end wines, ask for Kai, Max Reserva, Don Maximiano, Le Cumbre

Mont Gras

Good value

Tarapaca

Full flavoured layered

Luis Felipe Edwards

Stunning estate, solid wines, the future looks bright.

 CONCHYO Y TORO

Have never been disappointed, Don Melchor is killer

AUSTRALIA

Inland Trading

See what the short guy is pouring, good Aussie Juice

Penfolds

Bin wines only

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Painted Rock

The future first growth of BC, hassle John Skinner for me, tell him hockey os safer than biking

Osoyoos Larose

The Grand Vin

Le Viex Pin

See what Severine or Rasoul has to offer

Burrowing Owl

Good wines

FRANCE

Chapoutier

High end wines please, Hermitage white and red, Chateauneuf is good as is Les Granites

Henriot

Ahh Champagne need I say more

Latour

Top white & red Burgundies please

ITALY

Accordini

That’s Amarone

Antinori

Top stuff

 

SPAIN

Jorge Ordonez

He reps tops Spanish wines in the US, camp out there

 

CALIFORNIA

Signorello

Padrone – badda bing

Bennett Lane

Zin

Caymus

Cab, Zin & Special Select, their Belle Gros Pinots have gotten bette

Beringer

Private Reserve, Private Reserve, Knights Valley & Alluvium are good

Stags Leap

Cabernets

I am qualifying this as only a PARTIAL list but its a start

 

 

For one reason or another I am fond of the south of France. Perhaps one of the reasons why is not far out from any city is a wee bit of paradise.

Take last Saturday night. I had dinner with Irene Trollert and her husband Philippe; they are the owners of Mas D’Auzieres in Pic St. Loup.

Picture the UBC endowment lands a wee bit further out of the city, with Cypress mountain in the back ground, with of course the odd vineyard planted.

We finished dinner at 11:00pm, cleaned the dishes and went to bed. Much to my astonishment I woke up at 11:00am on Sunday rested. No horns, motorcycles racing around, no parties just restful sleep, it should the rule rather than the exception.

With passionate people like Irene the once lauded region is full of promise. It’s an international who’s who, Dutch, Americans, and Brits and yes the French fed up with Paris leaving their successful careers and starting over again, this is s huge leap of faith, good thing they have money. Those blessed with great terroir, they all tell you its great, will make profound wines, and the best is yet to come.

 

The real strength in the region is value wines. I don’t come here looking for the next $100.00 bottle of wine 99 point wine, no way, not a chance. I come here looking for values. Wines with authenticity, made by people who enjoy wine, food and friends, and these wines are aplenty. Many of them will retail for under $20.00 and man do they pack a punch. They are not boring, the whites are fresh and vibrant and the reds full and refreshing.

 

After more than 25 years of traveling the wine world you would think I would have the basics down pat. Imagine my surprise when I checked into my hotel on Wednesday February 15th and found out my reservation was for the day before.

I was even happier when I looked at my train ticket for Marseilles and it was for the day I arrived, ten hours earlier along with my car rental.

Lesson one make sure your travel agent gives you all of your stuff more than 48 hours before you leave so you can check it over.

I was bit nervous when I arrived in Marseilles, the city is a labyrinth of one way streets but my appointment at Domaine Tempier was in an hour or so the last ting I wanted to do was drive around the city for an hour trying to find my way out, surprisingly getting out was no problem, other than traffic.

I arrived at time Daniel and I jumped in his car went to tour La Migoua vineyard, there was problem he told me, I asked what it was, he said you’ll see.

Imagine my surprise when I saw a small front-end loader tipped over the terrace on its shovel listing dangerously sideways.

Francois, the 70-year-old owner was rebuilding the wall of the terrace from the wrong side, you do it looking up to it not from the top. No roll bar, no seat belt he is luck to be alive. We left in such haste that I left my camera in my car.

Off we went to see La Tourtine, passing a massive housing development on hill, some 40 years ago one a negociant told Daniel, these were the best vines in Bandol, sadly they are gone, no one knows how good his wines or Bandol could be.

Off we went to lunch then our tastings of the 2010 & 2011 vintages. More on them later

After our tasting Daniel asked me, so what do you want to taste, jokingly I asked for the 1959, my birth year and like 2009 generally a kick ass vintage around the wine world.

Imagine my surprise when he held in his hand a bottle of 1959, only three bottles are left now.

The cork was soft and unfortunately the wine was oxidized. However most of the colour was till there, there is no doubt in my mind if anyone finds a bottle of 1959 Domaine Tempier Bandol they well be rewarded.

Undaunted, and somewhat disappointed Daniel went in the back picked out a bottle of 1986 La Tourtine, which at that time had a part of Cabassou in it.

The 1988 La Louffe, mostly made with Cinsault and was only made for two vintages 1987 & 1988. It is hard to describe Cinsault, suffice it to say the bightness of the acidity has kept the wine alive.