Vancouver Wine Festival - Oh What a Night! - Part Two

Another lovely Cava from Segura Viudas

It's really amazing - put a large number of people in a large room, give them a wine glass and access to over 700 different wines, and tell them they have just three hours to drink what they can.

That's the main premise behind the Vancouver Wine Festival.

And the people! They were so interesting! Most people were dressed rather smartly but there was the occasional chill dude in a t-shrit and jeans. There were also some women dressed in rather short, tight dresses that maybe weren't the most comfortable for a wine tasting - especially with stiletto heels... And, of course, there was the odd person wearing running shoes - probably a very smart idea as we all spent most of the three hours on our feet.

At many of the booths were people with blue lanyards attached to their name tags. These were the actual winemakers and they were great to talk to. They were passionate and answered all of my questions - even though they had probably heard them many times before - with an enthusiasm that was riveting.

Onto the wines, again.

We'll start with Portugal, the other country featured in the festival.

There weren't a ton of wines from Portugal, especially compared with Spain, but I did try a couple Douro Valley wines.  My favourite, by a mile, was Quinta de Crasto.  The first was a 2015 Superior  ($36 at Everything Wine) made with a variety of grapes including Touriga Nacional. Great berry flavours and strong body in this wine. The second was a 2014 Reserve Old Vines ($41). Amazingly, the vines that this wine was made of are over 90 years old! This was a smooth wine with balanced tannins. The vineyards that this one comes from has literally dozens of different grapes mixed so it's a real testament to the winemaker and the mix as this wine is a really enjoyable drink.

The last one from this winery was the first of the ports that I tried - and boy, did I enjoy trying.

The 2013 Quinta de Crasto Late Bottle Vintage Port was a good Port - not too sweet and with balanced tannins. It was about $26 at the festival which is a killer good deal. I hope that it ends up in the liquor store on a regular basis.

Fonseca had some damned fine Ports as well. My two favourites were the 2015 Guimaraens Vintage Port ($74 at the festival $87 at Devine Wines in Edmonton - 2012 vintage $82 at Everything Wine) with its raisiny elegance and the 2008 Vintage Port Quinta do Panascal($60 at festival, $44 - Marquis Wines in Vancouver) with its rich, creamy, black fruit flavours.

I had never heard of Warre's Port before and was thrilled to try this 1985 Vintage Port. What a rich, smooth, yet powerful Port. A wonderful taste. ($135 at the festival, $129 at Devine's in Edmonton). 

Ah, but there's always the one that got away. My youngest is a Supervisor at Brewery Creek and was able to try a 50 year old Taylor Fladgate Port at the Industry Tasting in the afternoon. Fifty year old! However, when I got to their table, I was told that the Industry people drained the bottle! Damn!

Moving on in our world tasing was a delicious Pinot Gris from New Zealand. The Villa Maria Pinot Gris Seddon Vineyard  ($33) was so crisp, honey-like and fruity that I immediately thought of that wonderful Fort Beren's Pinot Gris ($20) I had last spring. Although this one tasted very similar, the price point seemed just a bit high.

It is sometimes said that wine originated in Turkey - so where better to taste than at the only wine from Turkey, Suvla. I tasted two wines - the first was a unique Turkish grape called Karasakiz ($23) which was OK but a bit different than any other grape I had tried. It was a very light wine so it might be a good wine to pair with lighter fare. I also tried their 2010 Sur ($35 at festival and $30 at Marquis in Vancouver) which was a blend of several wines and I found that wine to be quite tasty with good tannins and a little sweetness and fruitiness. A very interesting couple of wines.

We tried a few wineries from France but the one that I enjoyed the best was from a negociant (and I'm sorry to say, I can't remember which one!).  They specialize in Bordeaux wines and I was privileged to have one of the winemakers from one of the wineries they represent lead me through a tasting of exceptional wines.

I started with a 2009 L'Egerie de Chateau Chereau from Saint-Emilion ($32) which was a Merlot/Cab Sauv/Cab Franc blend. It was good but not outstanding.

The next wine I tried was a 2009 Chateau du Taillan Cru Bourgeois ($37 - looks like it might be regularly stocked in BC liquor stores) from Haut Medoc. A Cru Bourgeois wine has to earn that classification each year which is no easy feat. It has Merlot, Cab Sauv and Cab Franc and is a wonderful black fruit, black cherry wine. A super deal.

I finished with a 2005 Chateau Verdignan also from Haut Medoc ($52) which was a blend of Cab Franc, Cab Sauv and Merlot. A very accessible wine that would pair nicely wth food but is delicious on its own. A splurge that would merit a special occasion.

Our final stop was our friends down south, the USA. I did skip the Canadian wines because there is only so much time to sample and I can try Canadian wines anytime. The three hours just fly along, especially when you take a couple shopping breaks.

The first winery was Charles Smith / K Vintners from Walla Walla, Washington. I liked all of their wines but I loved one - their 2014 M.C.K. - Motor City Kitty Syrah ($50). This powerful wine had delicious dark fruits and a super long finish. I couldn't find it in the onsite liquor store so we have altered our planned trip over Spring Break so that we go through Walla Walla on the way back from Las Vegas, just so I can pick up some of this wonderful stuff!

Finally, near the end of the night, we went to the California section to a winery we had actually visited in Napa seven years ago, St. Supery. We enjoyed all of their wines but the big standout for me was their Cab Sauv - and I was sure to pick up a bottle of this. I know, the photo is of the Sauvignon Blanc - and that's what happens when you are taking photos at the end of the evening! However, rest assured that their Estate Cab Sauv ($61) is a classic Cab Sauv with strong tannins but a balanced taste due to the fruitiness of the wine.

Thanks to the BC Liquor Store, we didn't actually have to pack our case of wine home - they will ship it to our local liquor store in a week or two for pick up.

As I finished my last glass (and, to be honest, I had stopped dumping when there was a half hour left so I could fully appreciate drinking, not just tasting, the wines), I said goodbye to my frat brothers from all of those years ago as my wife and I sauntered back to the hotel. We both had a fantastic time and really enjoyed ourselves. I am already looking forward to next year's wine festival.

¡Salud!

Tapas and Tastings - Another Great Wine Tasting Evening

Last night, we were invited to our friends' house for an evening of wine tasting and tapas - and it was a great time!

Each couple was responsible for bringing a bottle of wine. We were given the tapas dish in advance and were asked to bring something that would go with the food.

When we arrived, we secretly put our bottle in a paper bag and labelled the bag with the number that corresponded to the tapas course.

For each wine, there was a score sheet ( à la WSET 2) and a page that gave descriptors for the different characteristics of wine. Our host, Keith, popped open the wine, shared it around, and then we spied, sniffed, swirled, sipped and slurped the wine. After a few minutes, our other host, Lynn, brought on the tapas that went with the wine which we proceeded to nibble on while sipping the wine yet again.

Finally, after all of this drinking and eating, we would make our guesses and then Keith would reveal the bottle.

I absolutely loved it!

There were five wines and five tapas. Here's what we had.

The first wine received an interesting reaction from the table. One of the guests said, right off, that she didn't like it. Another said that he couldn't smell anything. I was able to smell citrus fruits like grapefruit as well as some green apple. This continued on the palate where I also tasted what I thought was a little yeast and high acidity. It was also quite mineral-y - and had almost a stone taste to it.

It was paired with Deviled Eggs with Shrimp. The pairing was great - it really meshed very well with the wine. Both the egg and shrimp came alive with the minerality of the wine.

I decided that because it was a great food pairing that this was an Old World wine. The minerality and lack of real fruitiness on the nose led me to Chardonnay. I guessed that is was either a Chablis or a Burgundy Chardonnay.

 

It was, in fact, a French Premier Cru Chardonnay from Burgundy - a 2014 Mont-Palais Rully Premier Cru ($50 - not sure where to buy in BC). I haven't drunk a lot of Premier Cru wines so far so it is a special honour to be able to drink one. On its own, it was a good wine, but with the food, it was amazing!

Next was a red wine. I recused myself from this one because my friend had phoned me a few days before and asked for a recommendation - so I knew what it was! Even so, I think that I would have been able to get this one. It had a lighter ruby colour with just a hint of garnet around the edge. The taste was definitely black fruits and there was medium structure and acidity. This was unmistakable as a Pinot Noir.

The tapa for this wine was a mushroom crostini with roasted red pepper and gruyere cheese. The wine paired very nicely with the food.

I had given my friend two possibilities - an Old World Pinot from France and a New World from the Okanagan. Since the wine tasted so darned good on its own, I, naturally, assumed it was the New World Pinot.

Wrong! It was a French Jean-Claude Boisset Les Ursulines 2016 Burgundy (Bourgogne) Pinot Noir ($26). I found it to be a very nice Pinot and would pair with a very nice range of dishes - the perfect wine when everyone orders something different!

The third wine was tricky. It was a fairly pale lemon white wine with a somewhat fruity nose and smelled of apple, honey, and stone fruit. The tapa that we had with it was an amazing Mu She chicken wrapped in lettuce. The fruitiness of the  wine paired well with the spices in the chicken.

My wife and I have had a couple of bottles of Gewürztraminer lately and I didn't think the nose was floral enough. That still left others like Pinot Gris or Viognier - so that's what I guessed - Pinot Gris.

Nope! It was a 2016 Gray Monk Gewürztraminer ($16) from the Okanagan. I was fooled by the less floral nose! Fooled or not, it was a good wine to have with the food.

Fourth was the wine that we had brought. It was well received as it was a bit bold, had some nice red and black fruit, had soft tannins and medium acid, and paired well with the tapa which was potato skins with chorizo and queso (cheese). The food was unbelievably delicious (well, it all was, actually) and I was tempted to find a yogurt container so I could steal all the left overs. The wine really stood up well to the chorizo but didn't overpower the subtler flavours in the skins or the cheese. A great pairing!

One of my friends got it (or came close enough, in my mind). He guessed Tempranillo - and it was, in fact,  a  2013 Beronia Rioja Reserva (aged at least 3 years) from Spain. For $26 I think this was an excellent wine and will definitely buy it again. Kudos to 'my guy' at the Pitt Meadows Specialty BC Liquor Store who helped me with this selection. This wine actually has Tempranillo and two Spanish grapes that I don't know a lot about, Mazuelo and Graciano.

Finally, we had a fortified wine to finish off. It was definitely a Port but it's pretty hard for me to tell the difference between Ports - other than they taste wonderful! This Port was quite sweet, had notes of nuts, caramel and honey, and was paired with an incredible chocolate mousse. The Port was sweet enough to stand up nicely to the dessert. I decided that it wasn't a vintage Port (as it was poured straight from the bottle - vintage Ports need to be decanted), tasted sweeter than I thought a Tawny Port would taste and tasted smoother than a ruby Port so I thought it was a Late Bottle Vintage (LBV) Port.

Close, but no cigar - it was a Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Old Tawny Port from Portugal ($40). Still, not a bad guess....

A great end to a fantastic tasting evening. Viva tapas!

Sip with your Sweetheart - Wines for Valentines

We were fortunate enough to be visiting the Okanagan this weekend while the Sip with your Sweetheart event was on in West Kelowna. The concept was to visit some of the wineries, sip some wine, and accompany the tasting with a sweet treat. Apparently, this has been going on for a few years and is a great way to kick off the first opening of wineries after the New Year.

Eating sweet things while drinking wine is certainly no easy feat, but the wineries we went to did a great job of rising to the challenge.

Our first stop on the sunny Sunday was Off the Grid winery. We had been there a few years back for the Feast of Field event (which is also a lot of fun, although it costs money while today’s was free).  We actually arrived about 15 minutes early and had to sit in the car while we waited for the event to start! We waited until we saw the truck from Bliss Bakery pull in and  drop off treats for the tasting.

The fine gentleman from Bliss Bakery offering a sweet treat.

The friendly folks from the winery welcomed us as the first customers of the day and then presented us with some wine and a chocolate torte! It was a very tasty way to start off the event. Their wines are  only available direct from the winery.

The wine was a Rosé that had just come off the tank that weekend! It was a 2016 Rosé that has a nice taste and went well with the treat from Bliss. I'm not sure when it will become available for purchase but it would make a nice summer wine - and accompanies chocolate in an agreeable manner.

The winery only had 3 actual wines available for sale - all white. The winery has been closed for most of the winter and were now only opening for special events.

A super deal - and a nice wine - was the 2015 Off the Grid Gewürztraminer that we bought a case of for $99! It had a very floral nose but wasn't too sweet on the palate. It was just fine to slurp on its own but will really go well with chicken, fish, or pulled pork. If you can get to the winery next time it's open, I would highly recommend that you buy a case if it is still available. My only regret is that I didn't buy more!

We also bought a bottle of their 2016 Off the Grid Riesling which was very nice - a bit off dry and full of honey, apricot, and tropical flavours. At $30, it isn't the same amazing deal but was still worth picking up a bottle (which we did).

Next, we headed down the road to Ciao Bella Winery. As we rolled up to this one, it seemed that we were visiting someone's house! We parked, went around the back, and went into the wine shop - which is basically the basement. Outside the wine shop was a hand drawn sign with the wines and prices - drawn in felt pen by a young girl, the youngest of the Fiume family, owners of the winery. The older members of the family inside were very friendly and welcoming as we crammed into the tasting area.

There were three different wines to try, a Pinot Grigio, a Rosé, and a Pinot Noir. Unfortunately, they are only available direct from the winery, from a few stores in Kelowna, or at the Coal Harbour Liquor Store in Vancouver.

I'm not a great fan of Pinot Grigio - I like the Pinot Gris style better - but the 2016 Pinot Grigio ($19) was pretty good - crisp, with stone fruits and a fairly good finish. There were Lindt chocolates to accompany all of the wines and the white chocolate made a nice pairing with the Pinot Grigio.

The wines we really liked, though, pictured above with their wonderfully distinctive Vespa labels, were the Rosé and the Pinot Noir.

The 2015 Pinot Rosé ($20) was made with Pinot Noir grapes and had a fragrant nose. Lots of red fruits like raspberries, strawberries and cherries were both on the nose and on the palate. It had an off dry flavour so would be great with turkey or something spicy.

The 2015 Pinot Nero ($25) was a very flavourful Pinot Noir which, of course, also had the same red fruits on the nose. The taste leaned more to the richer cherry flavours and was a great pairing with the Lindt dark chocolate candy! It would also pair well with a lot of different food (as a good Pinot Noir is known to do) and is wonderful on its own. 

By the way, in the photo above, there is a wooden Pinocchio beside some wine. When we were in Italy with our small children in 2000, we went to Collodi (where the author of Pinocchio came from - and, apparently, took his last name) and visited Pinocchio Park (sort of like a small scale Pinocchio Disneyland) with the kids. At the end of our visit, each of them purchased a wooden Pinocchio - and they were exactly like the one in the wine shop1 Our eldest still has her doll in perfect condition!

After visiting two relatively small, boutique wineries, we went to the big boy of the Okanagan, Mission Hill. This winery sometimes gets a bad rap due to its sheer size and output of wine, but if it weren't for Mission Hill and its visionary owner, Anthony Von Mandl, we'd all still be drinking Calona White, Lonesome Charlie and Moody Blue. Mission Hill is dedicated to making high quality wines that have helped make all Okanagan wines both desirable and recognizable. 

We were greeted at Mission Hill by two of their finest sommeliers, Dan and Bram. Dan explained the five different stations where we could taste a different Mission Hill wine while enjoying a sweet treat. 

First up was their 2015 Limited Edition Viognier ($18 - 10% off during special event). I really enjoy a good Viognier and this did not disappoint. It was very crisp and with apricot and peach flavours. It was paired with a square of milk chocolate which held up well to the wine. 

Next was an amazing pairing - the 2016 Reserve Pinot Noir ($26) with preserved cherries. Mission Hill makes a wonderful Pinot Noir that hits all of the right red fruit notes with the right amount of tannins and just a hint of earthiness. The preserved cherries were made by Mission Hill and were fabulous on their own - but paired with the wine, gastronomical heaven!

Third was the 2015 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($27). This was matched with 80% Dark Chocolate and was another magical pairing! This wine had some nice black fruits including plums, black cherry and black berries on both the nose and the palate. You could definitely age this wine for a few years but was very good to drink now as well.

I somehow misplaced my notes on wine #4 but the last one was another humdinger of a pairing, the 2014 Reserve Riesling Icewine ($25 for a half bottle). There were tropical fruits like banana and citrus fruits on the palate and it paired well with the sweet treat - a piece of locally made fudge. I had the peanut butter chocolate fudge - only a sweet ice wine would have the stuff to match this treat! 

Our last winery for this wonderful event was Rollingdale. Compared to the extravagant experience that is Mission Hill, Rollingdale is out of the way and the wineshop is a quonset hut. From the sublime to the ridiculous?

The setting may be humble but their wines are every bit as good as a finer looking winery. Their wines are available from the winery and some are also available at Save On, various independent liquor stores, and many restaurants.

The treat at this winery was a Purdy's chocolate - my favourite chocolate in the world! We tried the chocolate with their 2016 Fort Port ($20 for 200 ml - made from Marechal Foch) which was very nice - my wife does not usually like Port but the combination of Port and Purdy's please her greatly - and I had to agree! Not quite as nutty as some of the Ports I have enjoyed, it still has a very rich, fruit flavour that is good to drink. In fact, we shared a small bottle later that evening while playing Settlers of Catan.

The 2016 Organic Pinot Gris ($26) was crisp, clean and fruity. It had tastes of apricot and pear and was a fine example of a Pinot Gris.

The 2014 Paint the Town Red ($20) is a mix of Cab Franc, Merlot and Marechal Foch. It was good but lacked the strong character that I have grown to enjoy with Rollingdale's wines. It wasn't terrible, but it just didn't stand out and I wasn't excited about it. Interestingly, my wife enjoyed it quite a lot so - who knows? - maybe this is the wine for you!

Finally we had a taste of the 2014 8 Barrels Merlot ($46). I bought this one at Save On a few months ago and it is currently sitting in our cellar so it was nice to try this one out. It had some great tannins and had that character that I felt was missing with the previous wine. There were some great black fruits such as black currants, black cherries, and plums with some earthiness and leather and a hint of vanilla. This is the type of really stand out Merlot that I enjoy drinking - unlike some other Merlots which can be quite bland. 

Two of my favourite wines from Rollingdale are the Left Bank and the Right Bank wines made in the Bordeaux style. Last year's are sold out but the gentleman I talked to told me that there would definitely be a Left Bank (made from Cab Franc) coming out in the Spring. When I asked why only the Left Bank, he responded that, since some of the larger wineries are going organic (which is a good thing), smaller wineries, like Rolingdale, are finding it more difficult to source organic grapes for their wine (which is a bad thing). 

This was a great event that I would whole heartedly recommend. My only complaint is that I could have spent part of Saturday visiting some of the other wineries that were hosting sips and treats! I'm already looking forward to sipping with my sweetheart in 2019!

Old World vs New World wines - again- and some Christmas wine suggestions

This is one of those things that I have realized - or maybe, it's better to say - had an epiphany about. I know I've blogged about it before but it is such an important thing that I have realized that I am going to go on about it once again.

I have slowly grown to notice this, and thanks to taking my WSET course as well as tasting wine thoughtfully - one might even say, mindfully.

What is it? There is a big difference between Old World and New World wines and one way to look at it is this:

In the Old World - and here, I'm talking largely of France and Italy, although this may apply to other European countries - wine has grown up as an accompaniment to food. When you look at a fine French wine - say, a Chablis - the next thing that you do is figure out what you are going to pair it with - say, a whitefish or some shellfish with a cream sauce. These wines are really meant to be imbibed with the food of the area that they are close to. A bottle of Chianti? Try it with some Spaghetti Bolognese. A bottle of Bordeaux? Try a grilled steak or some lamb. Nebbiolo? How about a Piedmont fondue with truffles?

These are wines that cry out for a food pairing.

Just last month I had a Bordeaux from Paulliac that tasted ok at first sip but needed something. It turned out that it needed a big, juicy sirloin steak to make it sing.

New world wines, on the other hand, are, for the most part, just fine to drink on their own. It's easy to just sip away before dinner until the darn thing is gone and dinner isn't even on the table! This happens far too often at our house and with friends. On occasion, I bring a bottle of wine to a party, after asking what is being served, because it will go well with the food. Unfortunately, 9 times out of 10, it will be gone or mostly gone by the time the first course hits the table.

Now, just because many New World wines are good on their own, it doesn't mean that they aren't good with food. Many of them make fantastic pairings. On occasion, though, the wines just don't sing like one from the Old World.

Here are some wine suggestions as Christmas approaches (but good anytime):

First is one that I've had before - but probably a couple of months before I started this blog. It was a (New World) 2014 Terrunyo Block 17 Carmenere from Chile - and I bought it for my (now) son-in-law because it was written up as the best Carmenere in Chile. At the time, I shuddered to pay $38 for a bottle of wine - now I don't shudder so much if I know it is going to be a special wine. When we bought this particular wine I actually purchased three bottles, one to give, one to drink, and one to hold on. Last night, we had the one to hold on.

It was a wonderful wine - even better than the first bottle. It was a super dark rich, purple wine with wonderful black and red fruit flavours and some tannins. It had some nice oak and was a wine that really seemed to stand up with a strong intensity of flavours. We had prepared pork chops baked in the oven over a potato and tomato gratin but, unfortunately, by the time dinner was on the table, guess what?

Next up is a tasty Tuesday night wine. Yes, it is good to drink fancy wines such as the Carmenere but the reality is that most of us can't afford to drink a $40 bottle every night.  This one I chose because somebody gave it 89 points (although there's a large contingent of experts who are not particularly please with the point system - for an excellent view on this issue, check out this article by Jancis Robinson) and it was an Old World Cotes du Rhone. It is a Pere Anselme La Fiole from the Cotes de Rhone - the producer is actually from Chateauneuf de Pape. Although my Vivino app thinks it' is an actual CNP blend, it is actually a $17 bottle that tastes pretty good - specially for a Tuesday night. Nothing too intense or complex and definitely goes better with some food.

The third wine was recommended to me by a pretty reliable source at one of my favourite liquor stores. It was a New World Argentinian Fuego Blanco Cabernet Franc Malbec that I was pretty excited about. I love Cab Franc and was intrigued about the addition of the Malbec. Unfortunately, I found this wine to be rather dull or thin - not awful but not worth the $35 I paid for it. I was defintely disappointed and would not consider purchasing it again - wth or without food. I was surprised that it was rated pretty highly in the  Vivino app (and that someone on the bottle had given it 93 points) but my advice is - stay away from this one.

Finally, a fantastic (Old World) port! For the 325th anniversary of the company, Taylor Fladgate has come out with a tawny port that is a mix of 10, 20, 30 and 40 year old tawny ports. It is incredible! It has complex tastes and is not overly sweet so you can really enjoy sitting back and sipping. It also comes in a commemorative bottle which reflects the design of the original port bottle when the company started (my wife loves the bottle and won't let me throw it out). At $48 a bottle, it's a bit of a splurge but is actually a great price for tawny port. I swear I can taste elements from each decade as I savour this wonder. If you have a port drinker on your Christmas list, I recommend that you check your local liquor store stock and buy what you can. There's a reason why there's four bottles in the photo!

Any Port in the storm - really! WSET Class #8 - Part 2

After my dismal Sherry tasting - dismal because I really did not enjoy it - we had a break and then went on to try Port.

Before this class, I really didn't know the difference between Sherry and Port. It all seemed the same to me. But after this week's class, I have a better idea of the differences between these two fortified beverages. More importantly, I now know which one I like...

Port is usually made with black grapes and is alway fortified during the fermentation. Why is that important? The fortification interrupts the fermentation so there is always residual sugar left over. That means that Port is always sweet. And, it can also be really, really good!

Our first Port was a Tawny Port. Tawny Ports are a mix of red and wine Ports and are aged 10, 20, 30 or 40 years - so they are ready to drink when you buy them. The one we tried was a Ramos Pinto 10 year old Port that cost $39 (already, you can see the price differential between Sherry and Port). It was medium tawny in colour - which is sort of a red-brown colour - the older the port, the lighter the colour. It had medium intensity and had chocolate, cherry and prune aromas on the nose. On the palate there was, in addition, plum, jam and cloves. It was off dry with medium acidity, medium body and a medium finish. I didn't write down the overall rating so, from what I remember, I would give it a Good rating.

The Sherries we tasted before the break all were given a Very Good rating by Dave but I did not like any of them. I am not a sweet wine lover but this first Port was pretty good! I quite enjoyed it and like it much more than any of the Sherries.

The second Port was even better! It was a LBV (Late Bottle Vintage) Port The Port is made from wine from the same year (in this case, 2011), and is aged 4 to 6 years in casks. It is ready to drink when you open it and sometimes has sediment so may have to be decanted. After it is opened, you should drink it like wine, because it is only good for a couple of days.

We tried a Fonseca Port which was unfiltered (so had to be decanted). This $33 bottle had 20% alcohol - which is the same for all Ports - had medium minus intensity on the nose and had aromas of cherry, pepper and a medicinal smell. On the palate, there was black cherry, liquorice, and other black fruit. It had medium acidity, medium tannins and was off dry. I would rate this one as Good as well. A great pairing with cheese and chocolate.

The final Port was a Vintage Port - these must be decanted and are the best of the Ports. They are made from the best grapes and are only made in the best years. The one we had was a W. and J. Graham's 2011 Vintage Port. It was deep ruby and had medium plus intensity on the nose. There were many different black fruits on the nose including black currants and black berry. On the palate there was raisin, kirsch, and a wonderful jamminess along with spices. There was a lot going on there but it was hard to pick out some of the tastes because it was rather complex. It had medium tannins and medium plus acidity and was an off dry wine with a long finish. This wine was $109 and was Very Good - maybe even Outstanding.

I never thought of myself as a Port drinker but this changed my mind. It was an amazing wine. One of my group, Rajen, said that it was either his favourite or second favourite wine that we had tasted in the course! The only problem I see is that you have to consume it in a day - that's right - a Vintage Port should be decanted for a couple of hours and then consumed on the day you open it!

We finished off with two Sweet Fortified Muscats. The first was a Vin Doux Naturel from France (naturally).

The first was a 2015 Domaine de la Pigeade Muscat de Beaumes de Venise worth $35 for a half bottle and was pale, gold and clear. It had medium intensity on the nose with perfumed aromas of apple, pear and stone fruit. On the palate, there was additionally lychee, pineapple and vanilla. It was a sweet wine with medium plus acidity, medium body and a medium finish. Dave said that this one was near the end of its life as Muscat de Beaumes de Venise should be consumed when young.

The second was a Rutherglen Muscat (from Australia this time) and was the second sweetest wine there is, the first being PX Sherry.

Campbell's Rutherglen was $27 for a half bottle and was 17.5% alcohol. It was clear and medium amber in colour. It had medium intensity on the nose with aromas of stone fruit and tropical fruit.. On the palate, I tasted syrup - plain and simple. Being lusciously sweet, it was difficult enough to figure out what the tastes were besides syrup and sugar but this wine was über luscious! It was rated Good but I did not enjoy how syrupy sweet it was. It made my teeth hurt!

So, looking back on the class, I found that I didn't like Sherry at all, actually like Port - and loved Vintage Port, and didn't like sweet fortified Muscats all that much because they were so sweet. I know that Port is sweet, but not overly sweet and Port is sweet enough to counter the alcohol taste.

Now, back to studying - I have an exam to write next time!