Hello to you - my lovely readers!
I am leaving the blogger.com site for wordpress.com.
You will find my weekly - if not more - blog posts at my new blog address.
I had a few too many comments that you could not follow me easily and you can with the wordpress site.
Girls Go Grape blog is my new blog address and www.girlsgogrape.com will be up and running shortly!
I have just posted my wine Wednesday review so please come on over for a visit of the new site and let me know your thoughts.
Thank you for letting me a part of your day!
There is a direct link to my new address below.
Enjoy!
XO
Christine
Girls Go Grape blog
Wednesday 27 March 2013
Wednesday 20 March 2013
Bollini Pinot Grigio 2011
Hello and happy wine Wednesday! It is the first day of Spring and I could not be more thrilled that the days are longer and the temperature is on the rise. A special note on this happy day - one of my dearest friends is marrying her love in Malibu, California... sending special 'love' vibes down your way, N and D! XO
OK - now for the wine. Do I have a treat for you this week! As Pinot Gris/Grigio was the wine variety voted on by many of you for this months grape variety - some of the comments I received asked for new wines of your favourite grape. Well - you can thank me later!
On the review block this week is non other than Trentino, Italy's Bollini 2011 Pinot Grigio. This winery was started in 1979 by Neil and Maria Empson and is based out of Milan. Coming in under $20 at $18.99 in the BCLS, this is an amazing little wine. Having said that, I only found it in one of the North Shore liquor stores - the Signature store at Park Royal. I checked on line for my 'Islanders' and there are bottles in Port Alberni and quite a few in Vancouver...
In the glass, Bollini's Pinot Grigio is watery pale lemon colour and has a medium aroma intensity with notes of green apple, lemon, stone fruit (white peach) and a bit of minerality.
On the palate, this Pinot Grigio is more complex than many Italian Pinot Grigios' I have tasted. It is dry with medium plus acidity and medium alcohol. The body was medium minus with medium flavour intensity. Sounds kind of like a 'medium' wine, right? Well - trust me - it isn't! In the mouth, the gorgeous combination of lemons and green apple and peach really blend well together and are rounded out by an under layer of limestone minerality.
As I have said before - there seems to be a huge backlash against Pinot Grigio lately. This Italian lovely defies that. Bollini's Pinot Grigio is not a complex wine, but personally, I am not ALWAYS in the mood for a complex wine. Sometimes, I want a fantastic bottle to open up, enjoy with friends and simply enjoy it. Bollini's Pinot Grigio is a fantastic example of what a good Italian Pinot Grigio can taste like - there is more 'going on' in this wine than most Pinot Grigio's I have tasted and it is my new favourite PG from Italy! It gets a solid "Hell Yes" from this girl!
OK - now for the wine. Do I have a treat for you this week! As Pinot Gris/Grigio was the wine variety voted on by many of you for this months grape variety - some of the comments I received asked for new wines of your favourite grape. Well - you can thank me later!
On the review block this week is non other than Trentino, Italy's Bollini 2011 Pinot Grigio. This winery was started in 1979 by Neil and Maria Empson and is based out of Milan. Coming in under $20 at $18.99 in the BCLS, this is an amazing little wine. Having said that, I only found it in one of the North Shore liquor stores - the Signature store at Park Royal. I checked on line for my 'Islanders' and there are bottles in Port Alberni and quite a few in Vancouver...
In the glass, Bollini's Pinot Grigio is watery pale lemon colour and has a medium aroma intensity with notes of green apple, lemon, stone fruit (white peach) and a bit of minerality.
On the palate, this Pinot Grigio is more complex than many Italian Pinot Grigios' I have tasted. It is dry with medium plus acidity and medium alcohol. The body was medium minus with medium flavour intensity. Sounds kind of like a 'medium' wine, right? Well - trust me - it isn't! In the mouth, the gorgeous combination of lemons and green apple and peach really blend well together and are rounded out by an under layer of limestone minerality.
As I have said before - there seems to be a huge backlash against Pinot Grigio lately. This Italian lovely defies that. Bollini's Pinot Grigio is not a complex wine, but personally, I am not ALWAYS in the mood for a complex wine. Sometimes, I want a fantastic bottle to open up, enjoy with friends and simply enjoy it. Bollini's Pinot Grigio is a fantastic example of what a good Italian Pinot Grigio can taste like - there is more 'going on' in this wine than most Pinot Grigio's I have tasted and it is my new favourite PG from Italy! It gets a solid "Hell Yes" from this girl!
- Try this Bollini 2011 if you want a new PG on your list of favourites.
- At $18.99 - this wine is a bargain and a wonderful hostess gift for a spring or summer party!
- Pair with a light green spring salad or a chicken dish with lemon juice.
That is it for today - my lovely readers.
As always, thank you for reading!
Enjoy!
XO
C
Wednesday 13 March 2013
Gray Monk PInot Gris 2011
Hello all and happy Wine Wednesday!
What a week it has been. I was able to hold the first ever GirlsGoGrape - Uncorked event last Friday night with a group of fabulous women. More on this event to come!
My second entry to the Pinot Gris grape variety review is non other than Gray Monk's Pinot Gris. I chose this bottle of wine carefully and a bit as a proud British Columbian... George and Trudy Heiss were the first grape growers to bring the Pinot Gris grape to B.C. in 1972. That was over 40 years ago and some of these vines are still surviving and giving the Gray Monk Pinot Gris some outstanding flavours.
The wine is a lovely pale gold colour and has a medium flavour intensity on the nose. There are definite aromas of grapefruit, citrus, I found some green apple and a bit of minerality. This is a just on this side of off dry with medium plus acidity, medium alcohol, medium - body and a nice medium + flavour intensity on the palate. I tasted the same flavours that were on the nose however there was also now a small note of honey which is delicious.
Gray Monk's Pinot Gris is more of a shout out to the Pinot Gris styles from Alsace than Pinot Grigio's from Italy. It is more complex and there is a nice balance to this wine.
This pale gold beauty falls distinctly into my "Hell Yes" category! At $16.99 - it is an excellent representation of what a good quality B.C. Pinot Gris should taste like when there are so many on the market that kind of flounder to find their way...
There was a discussion panel not too long ago on whether or not B.C. should have a designated 'it' grape like New Zealand does with Sauvignon Blanc. Pinot Gris was the contender for the B.C. grape and the votes tallied at the end did not favour picking just one variety of grape. I am happy with the decision but it is Pinot Gris wines like Gray Monk produces that make happy that the Okanagan Valley has just the right terroir to develop this style of wine in a near perfect way. Thank you, Heiss family!
My second entry to the Pinot Gris grape variety review is non other than Gray Monk's Pinot Gris. I chose this bottle of wine carefully and a bit as a proud British Columbian... George and Trudy Heiss were the first grape growers to bring the Pinot Gris grape to B.C. in 1972. That was over 40 years ago and some of these vines are still surviving and giving the Gray Monk Pinot Gris some outstanding flavours.
The wine is a lovely pale gold colour and has a medium flavour intensity on the nose. There are definite aromas of grapefruit, citrus, I found some green apple and a bit of minerality. This is a just on this side of off dry with medium plus acidity, medium alcohol, medium - body and a nice medium + flavour intensity on the palate. I tasted the same flavours that were on the nose however there was also now a small note of honey which is delicious.
Gray Monk's Pinot Gris is more of a shout out to the Pinot Gris styles from Alsace than Pinot Grigio's from Italy. It is more complex and there is a nice balance to this wine.
This pale gold beauty falls distinctly into my "Hell Yes" category! At $16.99 - it is an excellent representation of what a good quality B.C. Pinot Gris should taste like when there are so many on the market that kind of flounder to find their way...
There was a discussion panel not too long ago on whether or not B.C. should have a designated 'it' grape like New Zealand does with Sauvignon Blanc. Pinot Gris was the contender for the B.C. grape and the votes tallied at the end did not favour picking just one variety of grape. I am happy with the decision but it is Pinot Gris wines like Gray Monk produces that make happy that the Okanagan Valley has just the right terroir to develop this style of wine in a near perfect way. Thank you, Heiss family!
- An excellent example of a good quality Pinot Gris from B.C.
- An excellent value at $16.99
- Pair with white fish, chicken in a light sauce or hard Italian cheeses.
- Note to self - Keep 2 or 3 bottle of this little lovely in your cellar as sunshine and good weather are just around the corner!
As always, thank you so much for reading! I will be moving my blog address to my own webpage but it is not all up and ready yet and will let you know when it is.
I value your feedback and input!
Next week - an Italian Pinot Grigio is up on the review block!
Enjoy!
XO
C
Wednesday 6 March 2013
Zinck 2010 Pinot Gris
Happy wine Wednesday everyone! I hope it has been an outstanding week for you!
Well - the readers' choice was clearly Pinot Gris for my March grape variety reviews! Pinot Gris is, hands down, my 'go to' grape. I don't think I have met a bottle that I really did not like.
Pinot Gris has received a bit of a bad rap lately and some backlash from the more 'refined' palates out there. I recall my first class in WSET Level 1. We were asked to say what our favourite grape variety was and what we have been drinking. I answered honestly - it was Pinot Gris, mostly B.C. wines and I really enjoyed them. The teacher ( who is not at the school anymore ) almost scoffed at me. She said something to the fact that Pinot Gris is a wine for the underdeveloped palate. Of course I took issue with what she said but I also wanted to understand what she meant by that statement. Today, I am pretty sure I know where she was going with that comment but I disagree with her perspective entirely!
Pinot Gris is a French grape variety. It really started to shine in the 13th Century in Burgundy but it didn't survive in a successful way and was damaged more often than not so it was planted less and less. Pinot Gris is genetically related to Pinot Noir. Pinot Gris is a happy mutation that happened much to the delight of many!
Alsace is the region of France that Pinot Gris really shines. It is one of the 'noble' grape varieties in this region and this type of Pinot Gris tastes quite different from Pinot Gris elsewhere in the world due to its northerly location and close proximity to Germany along with volcanic soils. Alsatian Pinot Gris wines are fuller in body and much more complex than many New World wines.
My first review is Zinck Pinot Gris 2010 from Alsace, France. It is very easy to tell an Alsatian wine because of its flute shape bottle - it is a legal requirement in Alsace to bottle in this type of bottle and Alsace is also able to label their wines with the grape variety, i.e. 'Pinot Gris' 'Riesling'. This is different than most everywhere else in France where, due to France's history of wine making, it is assumed that everyone just knows that a red Burgundy wine is a Pinot Noir. But I digress...
Back to the wine of the week - Zinck Pinot Gris retails for $18.99 in the B.C. Liquor Stores. It is clear, pale lemon with medium + flavour intensity on the nose with aromas of beautiful ripe stone fruit such as peach, apricot, nectarine and ripe red apple. There was also a hint of minerality and a whiff of clay.
On the palate, Zinck's Pinot Gris was off dry which means that there was some residual sugar left in the wine. It is a bit sweet, and I mean just a bit. It offered medium acidity and medium + alcohol and medium body. It was profoundly flavoured and tasted like very juicy ripe stone fruits and ripe red apples. I was able to taste the clay aroma I smelled and it was a nice, complex balance in the mouth. It has a medium + finish and was unlike any Pinot Gris I have tasted before. It was a 'Hell Yes' and 'If you are in the mood' kind of wine.
Well - the readers' choice was clearly Pinot Gris for my March grape variety reviews! Pinot Gris is, hands down, my 'go to' grape. I don't think I have met a bottle that I really did not like.
Pinot Gris has received a bit of a bad rap lately and some backlash from the more 'refined' palates out there. I recall my first class in WSET Level 1. We were asked to say what our favourite grape variety was and what we have been drinking. I answered honestly - it was Pinot Gris, mostly B.C. wines and I really enjoyed them. The teacher ( who is not at the school anymore ) almost scoffed at me. She said something to the fact that Pinot Gris is a wine for the underdeveloped palate. Of course I took issue with what she said but I also wanted to understand what she meant by that statement. Today, I am pretty sure I know where she was going with that comment but I disagree with her perspective entirely!
Alsace is the region of France that Pinot Gris really shines. It is one of the 'noble' grape varieties in this region and this type of Pinot Gris tastes quite different from Pinot Gris elsewhere in the world due to its northerly location and close proximity to Germany along with volcanic soils. Alsatian Pinot Gris wines are fuller in body and much more complex than many New World wines.
 |
| Alsatian Flute Bottle Shape |
Back to the wine of the week - Zinck Pinot Gris retails for $18.99 in the B.C. Liquor Stores. It is clear, pale lemon with medium + flavour intensity on the nose with aromas of beautiful ripe stone fruit such as peach, apricot, nectarine and ripe red apple. There was also a hint of minerality and a whiff of clay.
On the palate, Zinck's Pinot Gris was off dry which means that there was some residual sugar left in the wine. It is a bit sweet, and I mean just a bit. It offered medium acidity and medium + alcohol and medium body. It was profoundly flavoured and tasted like very juicy ripe stone fruits and ripe red apples. I was able to taste the clay aroma I smelled and it was a nice, complex balance in the mouth. It has a medium + finish and was unlike any Pinot Gris I have tasted before. It was a 'Hell Yes' and 'If you are in the mood' kind of wine.
- Looking to expand your Pinot Gris experience - give this a try!
- Really juicy tasting with a nice balance of minerality.
- Pair with roasted chicken, paté or something with a bit of fat.
- This is off-dry and fuller bodied than most Pinot Gris.
I think what my instructor was attempting to say was that there are a lot of British Columbians who flock to Pinot Gris and we tend to only drink B.C. Pinot Gris. It is my hope that she was trying to suggest that there are other presentations of this grape variety that are good to know and experience. She just didn't put this sentiment into so many words! This is an interesting wine and I really did enjoy it.
As always, my lovelies, thank you for reading!
Enjoy!
XO
C
Monday 4 March 2013
Lanson Champagne Vertical Tasting VIWF 2013
Have I mentioned how much I LOVE champagne? I did a month of sparkling wine reviews in December and enjoyed every sip!
Champagne, however, is THE King, Queen, Princess and Prince of the sparkling category. Nothing can touch it - although Spanish Cava and French Crémant can come within striking distance...
I had the pleasure of attending Lanson Champagne's vertical tasting last Friday evening at the Vancouver International Wine Festival. Lanson was started in 1760 and was the 1st champagne to be given the Royal Warrant by Queen Victoria that they still hold today. They have had the same winemaker, Jean-Paul Gandon, for over 40 years which is quite unheard of. Everything I heard made me incredibly excited to tour their champagne house when I go to Champagne in July this year.
A vertical tasting is when a winery/champagne house/distillery/etc. provide samples of their products. This type of tasting gives you the opportunity to try a wine or champagne that you would normally never have the opportunity to. Often, they bring out their reserve selections along with some wines that most of us could never afford to purchase. The room was set up seminar style and it was 90 minutes of heaven. ( I would suggest that I am better suited for a 90 minute vertical tasting than a 90 minute Bikram yoga class but I do both with very different levels of excitement!)
OMG. From the moment I stepped into the room and was handed a beautiful White Label champagne cocktail with fresh raspberries, I knew this champagne house had me with the first sip. Lanson has recently launched their White Label champagne which is slightly sweeter than their other champagne making it an incredible 'any time of day' option! Definitely add an orange rind, fresh raspberry, mint leaf and you are in for a lovely experience. Brunch, anyone?
We were led through our tasting by Enguerrand Baijot who is the Managing Director of Lanson Champagne. Our tasting included Lanson's Black Label Champagne Brut that was given a score of 90 points from Wine Spectator. This is their 'entry' level champagne with a $64.99 price tag. It was light and crisp with loads of citrus fruit and a lovely colour. This champagne house does not use malolactic fermentation in their winemaking which lets the fruit flavours and acidity of the wine shine through -uninterrupted.
Next up was the Lanson Extra Age Champagne Brut that received 92 points. It consists of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from only Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites. This lovely aged for 8 years before it was bottled. It had some of the same flavours as the Black Label but the complexity was outstanding. It is a full bodied champagne with extra aromas of honey and pear. Simply stunning.
Many women LOVE their pink champagne - Lanson was one of the first champagne houses to introduce rosé champagne as a way to encourage women to partake. Mission accomplished! Their lovely Rosé Label Champagne Brut again scored 90 points. It is a beautiful salmon colour and tastes like fully ripe and fresh summer berries. It had a surprisingly long finish and was glorious and delicate.
Lanson created another stunning pink lady in their Extra Age Rosé Champagne Brut. Scoring 91 points, it is made up of 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay. Their Extra Age Rosé was aged for 7 years in the cellar developing beautiful strawberry jam flavours amazing complexity. Incredible.
I didn't think it could get any better - but it did. Lanson's Gold Label 2002 Champagne Brut was next up and oh my goodness...I was in utter champagne drinkers heaven. This divine offering is made up of 53% Pinot Noir and 47% Chardonnay and aged for 10 years! 2002 was a phenomenal year in Champagne and this Gold Label proves it as only 100% Grand Cru sites were used. This is a powerful champagne that is also elegant and delicate. The bubbles from this champagne were persistent and beautiful to watch. It boasted aromas of grape jam, candied fruit and honey. Utterly fabulous. Did I mention it received 93 points? Wow.
Finally, something I doubt I will ever have the pleasure to experience again, we were given a tasting of Lanson's 1976 Vintage Champagne Brut. This beauty was gold in colour and again, as Lanson does not use malolactic fermentation, this 1976 bottle of champagne still had citrus and lime notes with bold complexity. We learned that you can order a vintage champagne from Lanson and they will disgorge the wine for you right then. It is 100% Grand Cru of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir which is the first and only time Lanson has had Chardonnay as the majority of the blend. It is rich, powerful and a bit mind blowing!
Whew - what a night. I was there with my lovely WSET pal Brooke and her hubby. I was amazed at the vibrancy of the aged champagnes and purchased a bottle of the Black Label Extra Age at the VIWF liquor store the following night for $84.99.
As always, thank you for reading!
Enjoy!
XO
C
Champagne, however, is THE King, Queen, Princess and Prince of the sparkling category. Nothing can touch it - although Spanish Cava and French Crémant can come within striking distance...
I had the pleasure of attending Lanson Champagne's vertical tasting last Friday evening at the Vancouver International Wine Festival. Lanson was started in 1760 and was the 1st champagne to be given the Royal Warrant by Queen Victoria that they still hold today. They have had the same winemaker, Jean-Paul Gandon, for over 40 years which is quite unheard of. Everything I heard made me incredibly excited to tour their champagne house when I go to Champagne in July this year.
OMG. From the moment I stepped into the room and was handed a beautiful White Label champagne cocktail with fresh raspberries, I knew this champagne house had me with the first sip. Lanson has recently launched their White Label champagne which is slightly sweeter than their other champagne making it an incredible 'any time of day' option! Definitely add an orange rind, fresh raspberry, mint leaf and you are in for a lovely experience. Brunch, anyone?
We were led through our tasting by Enguerrand Baijot who is the Managing Director of Lanson Champagne. Our tasting included Lanson's Black Label Champagne Brut that was given a score of 90 points from Wine Spectator. This is their 'entry' level champagne with a $64.99 price tag. It was light and crisp with loads of citrus fruit and a lovely colour. This champagne house does not use malolactic fermentation in their winemaking which lets the fruit flavours and acidity of the wine shine through -uninterrupted.
Lanson created another stunning pink lady in their Extra Age Rosé Champagne Brut. Scoring 91 points, it is made up of 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay. Their Extra Age Rosé was aged for 7 years in the cellar developing beautiful strawberry jam flavours amazing complexity. Incredible.
Finally, something I doubt I will ever have the pleasure to experience again, we were given a tasting of Lanson's 1976 Vintage Champagne Brut. This beauty was gold in colour and again, as Lanson does not use malolactic fermentation, this 1976 bottle of champagne still had citrus and lime notes with bold complexity. We learned that you can order a vintage champagne from Lanson and they will disgorge the wine for you right then. It is 100% Grand Cru of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir which is the first and only time Lanson has had Chardonnay as the majority of the blend. It is rich, powerful and a bit mind blowing!
As always, thank you for reading!
Enjoy!
XO
C
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