Having a Blast at Taste BC 2016

Taste BC is an annual event to showcase the best of BC beer, wine and spirits as well as tasty bites from local suppliers and restaurants. There are also prizes and a silent auction with items such as luxury items, local experiences, destination packages and much more.

This event marked the 22nd anniversary of Liberty Wine Merchants’ benefit fundraiser with this year’s proceeds going to Children’s Hospital. Liberty is the largest chain of private wine stores in Western Canada with six stores in Greater Vancouver and one in Point Roberts, Washington.

I was pleased to see my long time friend, Ric The Jelly Man in the line to get in. Ric is the owner of Lone Willow Wine and Beer Jellies, and if you haven’t tried them before, you are missing out. See his web site for where to buy them: www.winejelly.ca

There were over fifty-five BC wineries represented at Taste BC as well as eight beer and cider producers and seven spirit companies. As soon as I got my program, I made a quick game plan of which wines I wanted to try. Good thing as it was very crowded inside, with probably over 400 people packed in to the small ballroom.

With so many wines available, my plan was to stick with mostly chardonnay and pinot noir wines with a few other interesting ones thrown in. Armed with my brochure, I circled the wines I wanted to try first. However, once I entered the packed ballroom, it was clear that wasn’t going to work and I modified it to a one winery at a time tasting.

Even with such good intentions, I didn’t make it through my list and I know I missed many other great wines. However, I did manage to sample from 17 on my list.

Here are some of the standouts and some very brief notes, on the wines I got to sample.

2013 Maverick Pinot Noir

Big and bright. A cross between Oregon and Burgundian styles. Delightful

2013 Maverick Rubeus

A syrah dominant blend of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. The syrah rounds out this lovely blend making it smooth and very drinkable right now. Bright red and black fruit with lingering pepper notes.

2013 Maverick Syrah

Bright red fruit, spice, pepper and meaty undertones with bright acidity. Suitable for further aging.

2014 Black Hills Chardonnay

Rich with nicely integrated oak and fruit. Pear and butter flavours.

2014 Black Hills Viognier

Rich and round in the mouth with tropical and tree fruit flavours with citrus lingering on the finish.

2013 Black Hills Syrah

Good structure, red and black berries, chocolate and spice. I’d lay this one down for another 3 to 5 years so it’ll be even better.

2014 TH Pinot Noir

A little lighter in body than some of the other pinots, but elegant with strawberry and cherry and a lingering finish.

2014 TH Cabernet Franc

Big and round with lots of fruit, especially red cherry followed by a lingering finish.

2013 CC Jentsch Syrah

Fabulous. A big wine with layered notes of dark cherries, spice and chocolate on the nose and palate followed by meaty undertones. The word is that the 2014, still in barrel is even better. Look out!

2013 Liquidity Pinot Noir

Medium bodied with good structure and bright red berries. Very well made.

2014 Ex Nihilo Chardonnay

Good body, smooth and round in the mouth, fruit, butter and caramel flavours.

2014 Ex Nihilo Pinot Noir

Medium bodied with lots of bright red fruit, especially cherries.

Blue Mountain Brut

Nicely integrated fruit and secondary aromas of lees, brioche. Very nice BC bubble.

2012 Osoyoos Larose Pétales

Great value for a very approachable and tasty Bordeaux style wine.

2012 Osoyoos Le Grand Vin

This is one for aging. Grippy tannins right now but great potential with lots of fruit. Give it 5 to 10 more years.

2013 Tantalus Chardonnay

Taste the terroir. Minimal oak lets the fruit talk. Green apple, mineral and citrus.

2013 Laughing Stock Syrah

Smooth, big, ripe red fruit.

2013 Portfolio

This Bordeaux styled wine is big and round with lots of fruit. Very good.

2014 Meyer Family Tribute Chardonnay

Terroir driven, nicely integrated oak and fruit followed by a long lingering finish.

2014 Meyer Family McLean Creek Chardonnay

Disclosure. I am a huge fan of this wine. It has everything. Love it.

2014 Quail’s Gate Chardonnay

Made from 3 Dijon clones, 60% stainless steel and 40% in old oak barrels makes this a nicely balanced wine.

2014 Painted Rock Rosé

A saignée style blend. Great fruit flavours, well balanced with a long finish.

2012 Painted Rock Merlot

Good dark flavours with lots of fruit. Tannins still grippy. Age for another 5 to 10 years for it to peak.

2013 Painted Rock Syrah

Another great example of what BC can do with this grape. Good fruit and spice. Very good.

2013 Icon

Painted Rock’s merlot led Bordeaux style wine.   Good now, but better in 8 – 10 years. This wine shows BC can make age-worthy wines that will reward those who are patient enough to wait.

2006 Fairview The Bear

Very lucky to be able to taste a ten year old Bordeaux style wine that shows the lovely secondary aromas and flavours that only come with aging. There is a reason to cellar certain wines.

2013 Clos du Soleil Celestial

Tasty and ready to drink with round ripe fruit.

2014 Howling Bluff Sauvignon Blanc

Crisp and fresh with tropical and citrus aromas and flavours. Great mouthfeel and a long finish. A very good example of BC sauvignon blanc.

2014 Howling Bluff Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon

Fresh on the nose with citrus and grass aromas followed by tree fruit flavours. Elegant.

2014 Howling Bluff Pinot Noir

Burgundian in style, though fruit forward. Complex with layers of fruit, spice, earthiness, forest floor and cedar. A long finish. One of BC’s best pinot noirs.

Events like this one, where you can taste so many BC wines side by side, makes you realize how very lucky we are to live here. Our wines have the advantage of great structure and can compete with any others in the world. And they just keep getting better and better.

There was a good mix of wineries in attendance so there was something to please every palate. With the difficulty of making my way through the crowds, I decided to pass up on the food, beer, cider and spirits though there were many I would have liked to have tried had the time permitted. As it was, I wasn’t quite finished when the lights started flashing at 7:30 signaling the end of a delightful event.

And finally, a shout out to all the wonderful winery owners and reps that I had the pleasure of meeting. These are knowledgeable, hardworking people who seldom get the credit they deserve. Let me tell you, being on your feet for hours on end, never mind the set up and take down, and telling hundreds of people the same information over and over as well as dealing with the occasional ‘challenging” person who wants to tell you all about their trip to Europe or Napa while you are trying to serve others, well it isn’t easy.

Sam, The Wine Teacher, has been an educator, a home winemaker, a wine judge for too many years to count and is the former Guild Master of the BC Guild of Wine Judges. He has offered wine education and appreciation courses for Pacific Breeze Winery, Capilano College, Eden West fine foods, the Richmond School District Continuing Education department, the VAWA, the BCAWA as well as for various private functions. He also trains staff and offers cellar evaluations.