I just came back from an epic tour presenting wine education seminars on behalf of the BC Wine Institute (WineBC.com) all over the province. While much of my time was spent on official business, I did get a chance to catch up with some friends and colleagues, Instagramming all the way (as one is wont to do these days).
Victoria
I began my tour in our capital city, where the carpet was rolled out for me and a group of Victoria wine trade reps at Little Jumbo (LittleJumbo.ca), the hottest new restaurant in town. Owner Shawn Soole was the barman extraordinaire at Clives Classic Lounge at the Chateau Victoria for years, so you know the cocktail program has some legs. To go with an array of sharable small plates, theres a fantastic wine program as well something that often smacks of a back-burner priority in cocktail-forward joints. No sign of that here. Theres a smattering of global gems and plenty of the best of BC, including a juicy and opulent Pinot Gris from Vancouver Islands own Unsworth Vineyards (UnsworthVineyards.com).
Cawston
Over in the windswept Similkameen Valley, I dropped in to see my pals Rhys and Alishan at their Little Farm Winery (LittleFarmWinery.ca). Im thinking their new winery is a contender for Smallest Winery in BC (its smaller than our one-bedroom Main Street condo), but its destined to churn out fresh, expressive wines in what will be their third vintage (they previously borrowed friends facilities). It was a race against time for them this year, as finishing construction of the winery sprinted towards the finish line, neck-and-neck with the earliest grape harvest in BC history. Happily, the winery was finished and licensed a mere two days before they started harvest, with Chardonnay, Riesling and Cabernet Franc Rosé ferments now humming away just fine.
Oliver
I finally got to pop in and see the brand-spanking new Culmina Family Estate Winery (Culmina.ca). In fact, I even hopped in the truck to get a mountainside vineyard tour with owner Don Triggs (of Jackson-Triggs fame) and winemaker Pascal Madevon, whos recently come over after years of knocking it outta the park at Osoyoos LaRose. Their 2011 Hypothesis red ($48) is a big, juicy Bordeaux-style blend, but my moneys on their $26 Dilemma Chardonnay, a citrus-bomb of minerals and rocks with a perfect lashing of French oak.
And after wine tasting in Oliver...
...a good craft beer always hits the spot! The new(-ish) kid in town is Firehall Brewery (FirehallBrewery.com), whove properly dubbed themselves The Beer of Wine Country. The two ends of the spectrum are a Backdraft Blond Ale and their Holy Smoke Stout, but nestled in the middle is my favourite, a hoppy, toffee and citrus explosion known as their Stoked Ember Ale. After a long day of wine tasting and work, Chief Brewer Sid Ruhland was my hero. Im currently hassling the guy to send some of his ales this way.
If you need any follow-up or just want to say hi, find me via KurtisKolt.com or Tweet me @KurtisKolt
