DISCOUNT WINE CELLARS

Right on a beautiful stretch of river, frequented by swans and many other birds, in the quiet village of Mara is the Mara Station Retreat Centre. Here residential retreats are offered for people living with life-threatening illness and their partners or caregivers. Participants learn pain management techniques, meditation, nutrition and much more. The idea is to live with joy and meaning throughout life, no matter how little time one might have left.
The cost of retreats is high because of the professionals running seminars, the resources, the organic foods etc. The Society is non-profit. That's why they do fundraising, including a Chocolate and Diamonds Gala this Saturday the 13th in Salmon Arm, BC, at our elegant art gallery. There will be chocolate tasting, ballroom dancing, wine sold by the glass or the bottle by Recline Ridge (who are also donating a silent auction basket), a live auction, music, and the chance to win a diamond pendant.
I'm definitely going, but not because of the diamond pendant (worth $500 and donated by Enderby Jewellers), but because I'm on the fundraising committee and will be liasing with the MC, my friend Ron Langridge. I will also be dressing-up which is always fun, even when you're not a kid anymore. In fact, moreso because I hardly ever have cause to dress in anything but jeans and my favourite hoodie. I'll be wearing a low-cut strappy black dress, but don't let that scare you.
The communities of Salmon Arm, Enderby, Mara and others have been very generous in donating items for the silent and live auctions, plus goodies to taste. Most people relate to the Society's purpose since hardly anyone has not been touched by cancer, MS, Alzheimers or some other terrible disease. But even though the topic is serious, that doesn't mean we can't have fun, buy some great wine for our cellars, indulge in chocolate, or win a wonderful Valentine's Day gift for someone (just in the nick of time).
Which timing is usual for Valentine's Day, isn't it?

Labels: 96 bottle instant wine cellar, British Columbia, chocolate, diamonds, Discount Wine Cellars, Valentines Day wine charms, wine cellars, wine charity

Now that I'm looking for them, the number of wine-related events across BC is astounding. Whether an individual is looking for education or a pairing of food and wine, there is always something to choose from. For example, Hester Creek Estate Winery in the Okanagan has a seminar series going, with 'Understanding Your Palate' coming January 28th. This event features Sommelier Jay Drysdale, VQA store liason. I don't know what he will break out for the tasting, but one bottle on the website caught my eye: the Trebbiano. Not only have I never heard of this wine before, but the tasting notes interest me: melon, honeysuckle, white peach and lavender in the nose; creamy with tropical fruit in the mouth. My kind of wine, and under $20 Cdn per/bottle, though only 1,000 cases produced. Definitely the topic for an upcoming tasting and article.
For a Victoria wine event, try 'Shopping for Wine 101' with Robin Granewell. Learn to choose, pair, and identify wine, and taste a bit too. Cost is $25, 6:30 to 8:00pm. Take this opportunity to plan how you will fill your wine cellar. Victoria is a beautiful city, the best-known area of Vancouver Island (the far west coast, with Tofino, Uclulet and Long Beach, is also stunning if less rich in modern cultural monuments). The Natural History Museum is a wonderful place for all ages to explore British Columbia through the centuries, including their rich First Nations history. We like the bug museum where my kids held a praying mantas and flinched at the sight of a bird-eating spider. They also have some creepy bug-related gifts.
Which is when a glass of wine will likely come in handy to steady the nerves. There is a harbour in Victoria, so be careful to go there first, drink after. There are massive squid in those depths which are scary enough viewed from behind glass when one is completely sober.

Labels: 72 bottle instant wine cellar, British Columbia, Discount Wine Cellars, Trebbiano, wine cellars

The abbreviation VQA has always had me wondering: is this assurance supposed to really mean something? What do the letters stand for. This would make a good party game: what does VQA really stand for? Now, let's come up with some silly alternative? Very Questionable Age? Vast Quantities Accepted? Surely someone out there can do better, and I encourage your attempts (nothing crude, please).
'Vintner Quality Alliance' is the actual meaning of VQA, and it does give me some assurance. After all, those belonging to the monitoring board (used in BC and in Ontario) have standards to maintain which they are passing on to you. These include:
-a wine classified as 100% BC wine must be exactly that
-if a viticultural area is named, 95% of the grapes used must be from there
-if a date is specified, 95% of grapes must have been harvested in that year
-the board tastes the wine to ensure quality

Recently there was controversy over a wine which has been produced in in support of the Vancouver Winter Olympics coming this February. You may know the name as I've already reviewed one of their wines favorably. I'm talking about the Jackson-Triggs Esprit Series. It would appear that the Malbec I drank is likely to fit the above standards, though not all of their Esprit wines have done. One reason for this has been poor harvests in the years when their special series was first being established. They are making every effort they can to correct this problem to create a truly Canadian product.
Don't worry, lots of wineries use grapes from more than one location to produce a single vintage. Still, it doesn't hurt to ask yourself if a label tells you what you want to know. For those of you who are especially concerned about drinking wine from a particular region, or in knowing the location of the entire winemaking from growing, to harvesting, to your wine cellar, my advice is to read the small print. As far as I'm concerned, the controversy over J-T wines didn't change my verdict at all: their Malbec was still a lovely glass of wine. I just won't always be so satisfied as to the true origins of any wine until I do some checking first.

Labels: 192 bottle instant wine cellar, 2010 Olympics, British Columbia, Discount Wine Cellars, Jackson-Triggs, VQA, wine cellar wine cellars, wine cellars, wine glass

So far, at least in Canada, I have found three wineries who are officially supporting the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, Paralympics, and Canadian athletes through wine sales. I have already taken a look at the Jackson-Triggs Esprit Series. Now consider two more Canadian wineries: Sumac Ridge in Summerland BC and Inniskillin Wineries, located in Ontario and BC.
Sumac Ridge has produced a Non-Vintage Sparkling wine in the Methode Classique style, touted as smelling of citrus with tangy apple in the mouth. Inniskillin launched its Vidal Icewine Commemorative Edition on February 12th, 2009 in Ontario.
In the case of Inniskillin, the labels of their Commemoratice Icewine also depict art work by Canadian Gordon Halbran, making each bottle worthy of gift-giving and perhaps too precious to recycle (if you can afford a bottle at $59.95 Cdn, you don't need your 20c deposit returned). I'm not sure if one would wish to put this artistic bottle in a wine cellar, not to mention that the contents themselves are so ready to drink. With the sparkling white, one should probably only keep a bottle on the wine rack for a short time: this off-dry treat is meant to be enjoyed fairly soon after purchasing. Sumac Ridge even mentions pairing their Non-Vintage Tribute with buttered popcorn. You might want to remember that as you nervously munch away in front of the television in February, cheering on your team.

Labels: 2010 Olympics, 63 bottle wine cellar, British Columbia, Discount Wine Cellars, icewine, Ontario, sparkling, wine bottle gift box, wine cellars