BC Wine Appreciation Society Celebrates with Van Westen
The BC Wine Appreciation Society is an organization that was formed over 10 years ago and now numbers 175 members. Their events tend to sell quickly, whether it is a library tasting, a garden party, or a bus tour.
December’s wine event was held in the upstairs meeting room at Blackbird Public House and Oyster Bar on Dunsmuir in Vancouver. These events are always well organized including nametags and tasting cards to make sure you get to sample everything, Winemaker Rob Van Westen and his sister, Margaret were there pouring an incredible line up of their wines. It was a great opportunity to mingle with like-minded people and sample some wonderful wines and enjoy the tasty nibbles prepared by the Blackbird kitchen.
For the uninitiated, Van Westen carries the “V” theme through with their wines, although Vivacious and Voluptuous are pretty apt descriptors for their wines too.
Here are their tasting notes on the wines we sampled.
Vino Grigio – Pinot Grigio $19.90
Mineral driven and lively with ruby grapefruit, pear, apple and nectarine aromas with just a hint of honey. The dry and crisp palate has intense and zingy lemony citrus, green melon and a touch of baking spice with a long finish.
Vivacious – Pinot Blanc $19.90
Intense aromas of tree fruits, preserved lemon, a hint of honeysuckle and fresh apple peel. The palate has power and fresh acidity with concentrated blood orange, spice, pear and green apple with a long, mineral finish.
Viognier – as the name says, it’s Viognier $24.90
This varietal is hand crafted from our grapes grown at our Orlando Vineyard and Granite Ridge Vineyard located in North Naramata. The vines are nestled below a rock bluff providing a unique microclimate. Warm days and cool nights develop a wine that has complex aromas of jasmine, apricot, baked pear and orange zest lead to a ripe palate with classic Viognier stone fruit and floral notes along with intriguing blood orange and BCs distinctive zippy acidity, all with great length.
Vulture – Cabernet Franc $39.90
Floral aroma of wisteria along with ripe prune plum, damson plum, black cherry, sun warmed raspberry, blueberry and vanilla, clove, dried thyme and pastry crust. The palate is elegant and refreshing with flavours of red plum, burlap, hay, milk chocolate, dried lavender and spiced preserved cherry with a long finish.
Voluptuous – 67 % Merlot, 33 % Cab Franc $29.90
A wine that evolves constantly in your glass. First mulberry, then damson plum and cherry before the burlap, clove and cinnamon, finishing with black olive and dried herb aromas. The palate shows structure to develop for years along with intense flavours of prune plum, dried cherry tomato, Saskatoon berry, shortbread, graphite, cocoa and salty liquorice with underlying burlap, dried herbs and orange zest that mingle on a very long finish.
Vivre La Vie – 100% Merlot $29.90
Intense, ripe and warming with ripe black plum, cassis, blackberry, violet and Christmas pudding along with some graphite, black olive and a hint of mint and tobacco. The palate is full bodied and mouth filling with dusty cocoa powder like tannins, paprika and peppery spice along with blackberry, plum, stewed black cherry, liquorice and orange zest.
V – The Roman 5 – 49% Merlot, 21% Cab Franc, 24% Malbec, 4%Cab Sauv, 2% Petit Verdot $34.90
An intense and savoury wine combining spicy and peppery notes with plum, burlap, dried wild Okanagan sage and complex cocoa, vanilla, marzipan and pie crust aromas. The palate is built to age with crisp acidity and firm tannins that will resolve with 2-3 years in the cellar to reveal all the cassis, plum, sage, mineral, cocoa, sundried tomato and complex violet notes that lurk beneath.
Violeta – Malbec $34.90
Lots of spice, mixed brambly berry and rustic meaty notes. The nose is bright, clean and fresh with pepper, wild berry, violet, plum, blueberry, vanilla and orange zest infused chocolate. The palate is medium-bodied, juicy and lively with ripe raspberry, blackberry, leather, spice and pencil lead on the long, crisp finish.
Vixen – Late Harvest 70% Pinot Blanc, 30% Pinot Gris $19.90
Late harvested to give intense honey, pastry crust, baked apple and some pretty floral notes. The sweetness and richness is balanced by crisp acidity and the ripe honey poached pear, mango and grilled peach notes linger on a long baking spice infused finish.
Thanks to Rob and Margret for a memorable evening! Be sure to try their wines and check them out on your next trip to Naramata.
Featured pics: Van Westen Facebook page
