About the Job

 

Church & State Wines is currently looking for an Assistant Winemaker or a Winemaker who would appreciate the opportunity to work under the guidance of Master Winemaker Bill Dyer from the Napa Valley, California.  As the Assistant Winemaker you will be responsible for all aspects of the wine making process, from grape harvest to bottling.  You will have extensive previous experience in winemaking, with a high regard for quality and premium winemaking.

 

Church & State Wines currently produces in excess of 10,000 cases of premium and super premium wines.  In 2008 Church & State Wines received over 38 medals from recognized National and International competitions with 80% of its wines earning a Gold medal or better.  Church & State Wines currently operates two facilities, one in Oliver, BC and one in Victoria BC.  This position will be based primarily in Oliver, BC. 

 

Please send resumes to mark@churchandstatewines.com

 

Well camping season is upon us, at least in my neck of the woods it is. Every year I look forward to putting in my time with the great outdoors.  Becoming one with au naturel, smelling the salty mist from the ocean, pitching the tent with my wife (wink to my Kelly), roasting the mellows with the boys and swinging the axe. However, if you are anything like me, it’s not all roughing it!

One of the first things on my list when I’m preparing for a road trip is…what am I going to drink when I get there? Now to some, that thought shouldn’t be top of mind, but why not? Some of my greatest camping memories come back to when I revisit certain wines, and that inspires me get out there again and do it. The experience of the Great Canadian Camping Trip with family!

Let’s talk “building the base camp” wine. Hey getting home base ready is real work, so why not quench the thirst as you go? So my advice is to find the primo camp site, back the trunk up, pop the trunk, dig into the cooler for a chilled bottle, pop the cork & pour. Ok now you can get the rest of the gear out. In this case go with something refreshing, slightly lower in alcohol and easy to drink sans food. A couple of keepers would be…Get your hands on Vignetti Zanatta’s Glenora Fantasia Brut, Vancouver Island http://www.zanatta.ca/index.htm a sparkling charmer made from Pinot Grigio & the Cayuga grape (hybrid variety conceived in NY). Not only will this quench the thirst but it will create that celebratory sense of arrival after too much time in the car. Or go with JoieFarm Riesling http://www.joie.ca/index.htm. Hint…get on their mailing list. This husband and wife team up to make focused examples derived from their passionate love of German & Alsatian wines. The Riesling is a nice play and perfect for our purposes in this post. Not only is it varietaly correct, balanced and delicious but it possesses the mouth watering acidity that we want as a lead into dinner. A “prep the palate” exercise in the mid-day labour of base camp.

One of my all time favourite pairings when we’re heading to Tofino or any ocean spot for that matter has to be fresh crab off the boat with Viognier. There is something about this pairing that is sublime, the textural marriage of the crab meat & the weight of the juice works so well. Then the subtle tropical fruits come into play lifting the sweetness of the crab without overpowering the richly delicate flesh. Since most Viognier see a little oak contact, the impression of the classic butter-crab combo hits you as well. If you haven’t hooked these two up before, give it a try, you may just create a memory that you’ll want to return to over & over. Check out the very available Bonterra (organic) from Mendecino CA @ $22, Yalumba Y Series, South Aus @ $18 or go local with, La Frenz, Naramata BC @ $20.

 When you are grilling or around the campfire you’ve got to have a few choices too! Odds are 100-1 that I’ll bringing some steaks & what I’ve been getting into lately is skirt steak which is cut from the belly below the rib & right of the brisket. Generally it’s a tougher cut that works well with marinades, which help in breaking down some of the muscle tissue and prepare it for grilling (or searing in the pan). As for marinades, try the chimichuri sauce recipe by Tyler Florence, ( http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_24268_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html).

Immediately I start salivating towards a rustic red, which in turn leads me to Spain or Argentina. Perhaps a Malbec from Mendoza such as the Archeval Ferrer $29 http://www.achaval-ferrer.com/. This entry level version is an honest, balanced interpretation of the varietal. Often I find that a lot Argentinean Malbecs carry an unpleasant manufactured fruit character to them, this one doesn’t & doesn’t disapoint. Or skipping over to the Garnacha variety in Spain (Grenache is the same grape), I would suggest the Alvaro Palacio “Les Terracces” $55 (Garnacha, Carinena & Cab Sauv). It’s a little pricey but if you can shell it out, it’s worth it. Palacio spent time working with Petrus winemaker Jean Pierre Moueix and is part of a new generation in Spanish winemaking, where he is leading the charge!

Sticking within the local neighbourhood, I’m keen on Kettle Valley’s Malbec, Naramata @ $35 http://www.kettlevalleywinery.com/. I tasted this while putting together a wine list for a Vancouver restaurant and it made the cut. Great concentration of fruit, it carries the rustic, slightly gamey character that I look for, the acidity & alcohol are in check, it’s balanced, delicious and perfect for a sunset night of grilling.

Seek these out, pitch the tent & fire up Q!

Happy Camping

Wine Media

Marichel Syrah 2006, Naramata, British Columbia

All right, jumping into my 1st wine review, I’m jazzed I picked this wine to kick things off.

I recently had the opportunity to re-format Vancouver’s Yaletown Brewing Company’s http://www.markjamesgroup.com/wine list. What a great project it was, because my mandate was to create an all BC list. For the better part of a decade, I have been an evangelist for British Columbia wine and the potential we have here for growing world class grapes. Needless to say, whipping up an all BC list was just what the wine doctor ordered. Not only did I have an excuse to revisit some of the killer producers I’ve come to know and love but I was able to dig deeper into some up & comers, which was a treat.

After a month of meeting and sampling with BC wine industry reps I narrowed the list down to approx 20 whites and 20 reds. The overall list is a work in progress as new releases will be included moving forward, as they come into the market or wines sell out. The kicker here is that my favourite wine was the last wine I reviewed for the project & it blew me away.  This wine reaffirmed my belief that BC is on the right track and it also made me a believer that Syrah can be grown & produced in a fashion that is true to the variety with an end result that is comparable to quality global examples.

Marichel Winery http://www.marichel.ca/ is located in the prominent Naramata region of the Okanagan Valley (I will profile the region itself in future posts).  A family operated “boutique” or “garagiste” labour of love, this winery makes two bottlings only, Syrah & Viognier (I’m a Viognier freak by the way).

Note: My juice profiles will keep the personal adjectives to a minimum as I want to concentrate on the overall character & potential of the wine, not the candy floss fluff that comes with attempting to re-create the aroma wheel!

The 2006 Syrah was an immaculate example and is my new benchmark for the variety in BC. Great depth and concentration of colour, immediate attention coming from the nose, super intriguing aromas individualistic for BC Syrah’s. Rustic, gamey, floral & spicy. I knew right away I was onto something here. The mouth feel was texturally silky with juicy tannins, obvious ripe dark fruits, again a touch of gaminess which I crave & prominent pepper tones which is unfortunately absent in so many of  BC efforts. Alcohol was in check and the finish is still winding up. Lie this bad boy down for 3-5, and then check again for further ageing potential.

Great effort, seek this one out!

Remember that song? Gotta say, I loved that tune when it came out. Stevie Perry doing his thing & doing it well!

But hey we are not talking sappy ballads here, we’re talking wine and the other “Sherry” which is underrated, misunderstood and has generally been at the back of the bus…in this market anyway, when it comes to reaching for your pre or post dinner beverage. Thankfully the good people @ New Spain Wines are rescuing the category and demystifying it with an upcoming course in San Fran this November. I unfortunately can’t make it but recommend signing up if you are finding yourself in the neighbourhood around that time. Great opportunity to “get this” wine and appreciate it in all its forms.

New Spain Wines

Javier Arauz & Wendy Vallaster are presenting a full 1.5 day intensive Official DO Jerez, Xérès, Sherry course in San Fran, Aug 3 and 4th. you can register on our website at http://www.newspainwines.com/ and get a good explanation of the course.
Javier & Wendy aim to have each and every student walk out of our Sherry course FULLY understanding every Sherry style that exists, how it is made, and why it is the way that it is. They have a spectacular selection of Sherries lined up for the course as well.

Stumbled upon this conference, can’t recall where but I’m glad I did. This event seems to be tailored made for what I was looking for as I began researching my blog. As I scrolled through last year’s participants I noticed a local wine importor, Anthony Nicalo ( http://www.farmsteadwines.com/) attended last year. I rang him up & he had good thing to say. Looking forward to meeting new friends and learning what’s new and exciting in the eyes of my fellow bloggers. Check it out!

http://winebloggersconference.org/

 

It’s has been too long since I’ve attended a wine event in my hometown. So I’ve penciled it in and I’m counting down the days. Looking forward to revisiting the current efforts of the Islands Vintner’s. Will post news & reviews upon my return. And if you are thinking of going, be sure to let me know, love to toast with you!

Details below…

Victoria’s first annual festival of food and wine offers a local taste of Vancouver Island and the wine regions of British Columbia

http://www.victoriataste.com/

Uncork with us on Thursday July 16, 2009 with an evening tasting of more than 150 British Columbia wines and local cuisine prepared by top Vancouver Island chefs.  Not just a wine festival, Taste offers culinary tourism experiences at venues around downtown Victoria, as well as farms and vineyards throughout the Saanich Peninsula and Cowichan Valley.  Enjoy an extra long weekend of 15+ tastings, seminars and events Thursday July 16, 2009 through Sunday July 19, 2009.

I’ve been bit!

I can’t hold back any longer, I’m launching myself into the world of Wine Blogging & today is the day!

The past few years have had me entertaining the idea, in fact I can trace my interest in sharing my passion for wine in a media format, going back six or seven years. I just didn’t know how I was going to pull it off or I didn’t have the cajoles to. As I discovered personalities like Gary Vaynerchuck, (Wine Library TV), Alder (vinograhy.com), Andrew Morrison (former Urban Diner, now Scout Magazine) it became more apparent to me where media is going, the influence to impact change through “new” media  & the opportunities to create and navigate ones destiny through this platform. Needless to say I’m super stoked to dive into this, so it’s ready, set, go!

As I mentioned, I’ve had a lot of time to dive deep into the tank to come up with what may be the best direction for me to take. This is the start of what eventually will be a comprehensive site covering good “new fashion” blogging, wine producer profiles, snappy Q&A, grass roots wine event & festival coverage, breaking news, wine reviews & event listings etc…you get the idea by now!

Clearly I’m not reinventing the wheel here, I get that! But what I am aiming to do, is deliver timely, quality, relevant, niche centered content, that is in real time, entertaining, helpful, humorous, educational & focused on my fellow wine desperadoes. And if you are reading this right now, I’m going to ask you for a favour, one that I’m happy to return. Be my hydrometer on this inaugural vintage, post your thoughts, opinions & suggestions. We are shooting for Grand Cru status right out of the gate!

Final press…

If I know one thing, it is this! The wine community is among the friendliest, most down to earth, humble & welcoming farmers & closet farmers I know. It’s a privilege to count you as my friends so, welcome to my home & come right in, no need to knock, the door is open & the glass is full.

A Toast to You,

David Foran

winemedia