Ive made it a regular habit to bring along a couple bottles of BC wine when Im visiting other countries, whether the trip is for business or pleasure. The vast majority of BC wine is consumed within the province and our few exports largely consist of ice wine. So, I find that sharing a bottle of something that expresses the quality of what we do is a great way to expose friends and colleagues to some of the good stuff they might not otherwise try.
Truth be told, I also enjoy taking any opportunity to dispel the somewhat common myth that all were capable of around here is ice wine.
Well, it looks like the next time I go to the US, my luggage can now be a little lighter! The BC Wine Institute, whose mandate is to market and promote BC VQA wine, has recently entered a partnership with Good Company Wines, an American importer, to make BC wines far more accessible to consumers south of the border.
To start things off, there are four premium producers now available through the retail portal at WineBCUSA.com: Black Hills Estate Winery, Laughing Stock Vineyards, Meyer Family Vineyards and Painted Rock Estate Winery.
Now those of us wanting to share some local goods with American friends and family have a far more streamlined way of doing so.
Here are my recommendations from whats available. The best part is, the bulk of these are still widely available in BC, so well still have plenty of opportunity to enjoy them in comfort of home.
Painted Rock 2010 Syrah | Skaha Bench
John Skinners big and bold, rock em-sock em take on Syrah has been a perennial Canadian favourite with consumers, critics and competitions. Expect an Old World flavour profile with cloves, cardamom, wet earth and dark berry fruit, fully supported by some sturdy oak. Theres New World power in the weight and body here, good enough to lie down for a good half-dozen years.
Laughing Stock Vineyards 2011 Portfolio | Okanagan Valley
This take on a classic Bordeaux blend tweaks the order of varieties from year to year so that the Merlot, Cabernet Franc and other usual suspects each contribute the perfect piece of the overall puzzle. You can always expect the Cabernet Sauvignon to have bell pepper, currants, violets and so on, while the Merlot has round berry fruit, the Malbec mineral-laden and juicy, with everything else carrying that trend of showing varietally correct. It all integrates seamlessly into tremendous opulence, structure and value.
Meyer Family Vineyards 2011 Tribute Series Chardonnay | Naramata Bench
Winemaker Chris Carsons steady hand with Chardonnay comes from years in New Zealand, Burgundy, and now a dazzling handful in the Okanagan. Striking the perfect balance between perfumed, tropical fruit from the Old Main Road Vineyard he calls home, and his calling card of pitch-perfect oak, this is Chardonnay for both discerning obsessives of the grape, and those looking to come back to it after a few years away.
More information is at WineBCUSA.com
