Talk to pretty much anyone in the Canadian wine industry and they’ll tell you Christine Coletta is a force to be reckoned with. She has spent much of the last 30 years helping put British Columbia on the world wine (and culinary) map and the accolades have followed. But meeting Christine in person, her kind and thoughtful demeanor clearly indicates that none of the recognition has gone to her head. And while most people would be contemplating a relaxing retirement plan after such a long and illustrious career, Christine isn’t most people. What began as the purchase of a 10-acre orchard to plant a vineyard and make some wine, has manifested into a sizeable custom crush facility and 4 wine brands.
Our latest Video AdVINEture features highlights from our visit last year to the Sonoma and Napa Valleys. We were fortunate to re-visit some favourites such as Talisman Wines, Laurel Glen Vineyard, and St. Francis Vineyards, along with first-time visits to Smith-Madrone, Grgich Hills, and Barnett Vineyards. While we wait for travel to be opened up again, we hope you’ll enjoy this montage of winemaker clips from a region we look forward to returning to as soon as possible!
Mrs. Beeton’s book: a great source of information for the dinner.
On November 24, 1899, 2 years before she passed, Queen Victoria invited her grandson Kaiser Wilhelm to dinner at Windsor Palace. Not much is known about that dinner, but a menu from that evening has survived. On November 24, 2019, we were invited to a dinner intent on replicating the original menu as close as possible and had been tasked to pair the wines…without knowing what wines were served at the first!
On a recent trip to the Willamette Valley, Oregon’s prime wine-growing region, we had the opportunity to really delve into the connection between Oregon and Burgundy. We met with two winemakers from France, a sommelier from Oregon, several Oregon winemakers and did a comparative tasting of the two regions. The experience taught us a lot and of course was great fun as well.
Chile’s climate provides ideal conditions for Carménère.
There are certain wine regions in the world that are known for a particular grape variety. For example, the Napa Valley is synonymous with Cabernet Sauvignon, Burgundy for Pinot Noir and Argentina for Malbec. Then there are the regions that have so many different unique micro-climates they can produce a much greater variety of high-quality wines. Sonoma is one that comes to mind with its 17 different AVAs and 259 different soil types. On a recent trip to Chile, we discovered that although it’s a place often associated with Carménère, it’s finally gaining notoriety for its quality with respect to a diverse range of varieties. For the last 3 decades, Viña Montes has been at the forefront of this transformation helping to reposition the country’s reputation worldwide both with quality and diversity.
We recently visited the beautiful Andeluna Winery in Argentina on a unique visit to taste their wines, have lunch and as a special treat, learn how to make empanadas from the winery’s chef.
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