Wine festival white wines

The 31st Annual Fall Okanagan Wine Festival is fast approaching, running from October 1st until October 10th. This is the only wine festival in North America that is held during the wine harvest and throughout the 10 day celebration, there are numerous events planned from winemaker dinners, festival tastings, grape stomps, to a guided vineyard-working experience.

If you are going to attend any of these events, it is imperative that you purchase tickets quickly as the events sell-out very quickly.

To help on your wine tasting adventure, it might be handy to know what you’re going to be up against. There are numerous grape varieties planted in the Okanagan now and having a bit of knowledge about them might help.

About twenty years ago, consumers started to revolt against the over-oaked Chardonnays of the world. They called themselves the ABC crowd, an acronym for Anything But Chardonnay and they are still around today thanks to wineries that over-oak their wines still. Around this time, I happened upon a Chenin Blanc from the Dry Creek winery who were pioneers in Chenin from the Dry Creek district. I have yet to find a wine that could match it but the 2009 Quails Gate Chenin Blanc ($25 PWS) is a close second. It offers a bone-dry wine packed with tropical fruit, including hints of pear, melon and citrus, particularly grapefruit with racy acidity on the finish. If you cannot find the Quails Gate, try the Inniskillin Discovery Series. Serve Chenin well chilled by itself or, except for salmon, pretty much any seafood, in particular oysters.

Another ABC grape that is gaining in popularity is Viognier (Vee-own-Yay). This grape from the northern Rhone is distinguishing itself in Australia, California and BC. Typically, the wines produced will have a floral and tropical fruit aroma that is so strong you would expect the wine to be sweet but in fact, most Viognier is dry with a texture that really coats your palate. One to watch for is the 2009 Black Hills Viognier ($40 PWS). This is one of BC’s boutique wines with very little available for retail. However, you are able to find it one of the better wine shops in Kelowna. Expect aromas and flavours of apricot, melons, flowers and a hint of minerality.

Viognier is sometime blended with other Rhone varieties and Stags Hollow Winery in Okanagan Falls has hit the mark with theirs. Their 2008 Viognier-Marsanne ($32 PWS) is a very fresh, delicate and floral wine with a ripe exotic aromas and flavours of peach, mango and papaya with a round, silky texture and a finish that leaves a long, distinct aftertaste. Or try the 2009 Cassini Cellars Viognier ($22 PWS). This is loaded with rich tropical and orchard fruit, honey, white pepper and refreshing acidity. Try pairing Viognier with mildly spiced curry dishes, entrees with fruit chutneys or fruit salsas or poached Halibut.

Pinot Grigio from Italy or Pinot Gris from Alsace and North America — the grape is one and the same — has gained in popularity in North America, so much so that it surpassed Chardonnay as the #1 imported variety. Personally, I prefer the Pinot Gris version of the variety just because it has more complexity and some of the best are produced in our own back yard. One of my favourites is the 2009 Tinhorn Creek Pinot Gris ($19 PWS). This wine is loaded with aromas and flavours of fresh, juicy crisp orchard and tropical fruit with spiced honey. The texture is soft and luscious with crisp acidity to round it out. Also, check out the 2008 Cerelia Pinot Gris ($22 PWS). Here is a wine that is loaded with ripe aromas of pear, orange rind and tropical fruits characteristics of mango, lime, guava, pineapple, and kiwi.

Sauvignon Blanc is a grape that, for the most part, does not see any oak aging. It is a refreshing departure from the trend to oak everything and at its best produces wines with searing acidity and a multitude of fruit flavours. In New Zealand, it has become a celebrity where it started to draw world attention in the 1980s. Here in BC, it is gaining in recognition so much so that it is now the 4th most planted white variety.

Wines to watch out for are the 2009 La Frenz Sauvignon Blanc ($28 PWS). Loaded with aromas of kiwi, gooseberry, pineapple, grapefruit, green apple, lime and melon, the texture is full, rich and refreshing with citrus and tropical fruit flavours wrapped up crisp acidity and a lush, juicy finish. Another great tasting Sauv Blanc is the 2009 Stags’ Hollow Sauvignon Blanc ($25 PWS) boasts complex aromas of crisp kiwi, grapefruit, pineapple, gooseberry, and passion fruit with hints of lime and honeydew. The flavours are all tropical and citrus fruits with a hint of honey and a crisp, refreshing finish. Good value is the 2008 Jackson Triggs Sauvignon Blanc ($14 PWS).

Of all the grape varieties intended for the product of wine, one of the most misunderstood grapes is Riesling. Long considered one of the 'noble' grape varieties for wine making, it can produce wines of fresh, racy acidity and elegance in very cool growing conditions. It has the ability to produce wines that run the gamut from bone dry to very sweet but are usually made in dry or semi-dry styles. With its delicious fruit flavours of peach, pear, apple and lime, Riesling complements all types of foods and offers a wide range of characteristics, from the easy-drinking fruity style, to liquid conundrums that assault the palate with their explosion of hedonistic texture.

One of my favourite BC Rieslings is the 2009 Quails’ Gate “Dry” Riesling ($17 @ the winery). Sourced entirely from the winery’s own 25 year old Riesling vines, this spectacular wine has aromas of ripe peaches, pears, crisp green apple and fresh lime with fresh grapefruit, pineapple and sweet mango. The palate is full of juicy orchard fruit with some sweetness from the residual sugars but it is nicely balanced by the mouth-watering acidity giving this crisp and fruity wine a delicious finish.

While it is not a white wine, it is the white wine for red wine drinkers or vica versa, I can never remember. Whatever it is, the 2009 Stags Hollow Syrah Rose ($23 PWS) is a wine which still has summer written all over it even though we are now officially in Autumn. Loaded with vibrant cherry, raspberry, strawberry and sweet cranberry fruit, the palate is fairly full and rich for a rosés. This is very fruit-driven wine with great weight on the palate and crisp acidity on the finish. Whole grilled chickens on the rotisserie would be a perfect partner with this wine.

Whatever wine you choose, the Fall Wine Festival is an excellent opportunity to try a wide range of wines. Get out there and enjoy.

In Vino Veritas

Over the next few weeks, I will write a little differently, more of a blog of sorts. We are leaving tonight for France, specifically Villefranche-sur-Mer in the Cote d”Azur just near Nice. We are spending three weeks in Villefranche using it as a home base and travelling to different parts along the northern parts of the Mediterranean. Stay tuned for updates. If you would like to email me while I’m there, just use the email in the right hand column of this article.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.