Wines from Unkown Countries

 

March 17 2025, we celebrated. Our celebration was for Barbara’s recovery from a health scare, St. Patrick’s Day, and Ken’s birthday.

We also included our annual wine event, Wines from an Unknown Country.  Each couple was asked to bring a wine from a country whose wines we seldom see in British Columbia, Canada.

Our first wine was from Island of Crete. Crete is the fifth largest Island in the Mediterranean part of Greece. The Island has played a major role in the history of Greek winemaking

The wine is Boutari 2022 Kretikos Vidiano- Vilana, a very nice white wine. One of Greece’s most successful export wine.

Next came a wine from one of the world underrated Countries Georgia. Tetri Kindzmarauli is made from the saperavi grape grown in the controlled appellation of Kindzmarauli. The regional winemaking is almost universal and is based on the ancient method. Its a slow fermentation at a low temperature that ends without all of the sugar being fermented.

 Our third selection came from Chile. Perhaps a better known wine region than Georgia and Crete . A baron Philippe De Rothschild. From the Valle Centre a very impressive wine. One where the flavours of the Carmenere shone through.

Our final selection was from South Africa: a Secret Cellar 2022 Shiraz Grenache. Most of South Africa's wine regions are situated on the coastline of The Cape where they take advantage of the cooling influence of The Southern Ocean. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted black grape variety.

We found all the wines to be excellent. Wines we would all be happy to buy again

 Dining at Morgan Creek Golf Club

With my wife in the hospital, our good friends Petter and June invited me out for dinner at Morgan Creek Golf Club. They suggested the golf course because it was halfway between their home in Tsawwassen and  mine in White Rock. I think the advantage was mine. 

The restaurant features a well-rounded menu and a Wine Bar. We selected the restaurant. The menu details a number of Seafood dishes, and on Sunday, the special was Prime Rib and Yorkshire Pudding.

June selected the Prime Rib which according to her was amazing. Peter and I selected the Beef dip. Beef dip is one of my favourites, and I had my mind made up before I arrived.

The waiter was friendly and provided excellent service. I asked about a Pinot Gris for my wine. The server made several suggestions, but only one BC wine, which I selected.

He said, “ I appreciate your sentiments. “Perhaps he was referring to the recent movement to support Canada. Of course, I have been a promoter of BC wines for over 30 years with a little website, Wines of Canada.

 Filet Mignon – Lean and Tender

 

 

The king of the red meats. Filet Mignon is not the most marbled cut of steak. It is tender and many steak lovers enjoy it only with a fork because there’s no need to cut it with a knife. This means that a lighter, thinner wine is a better choice to complement the texture.

How you season your FILET Mignon may determine the wine you choose. A simple salt and Pepper steak is best served with a Pinot Noir.

Pinot noir is grown around the world, mostly in cooler climates, and the variety is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France.  Pinot Noir is usually light to medium-bodied, with lower tannins and high acidity, making it a wine of grace and subtlety. It has a silky finish.

If your steak comes with a rich sauce you are best to go with a Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine  is a full-bodied red wine that has bold flavours of dark fruits, oak, and spice.

The Malbec is a medium to full-bodied red wine with medium to high tannins. And this makes them a great wine to pair with filet mignon that has been grilled.

There are those who like a Zinfandal   These wines  are very fruit-forward with flavors of dark fruits, spice, and pepper. This makes them a great wine to pair with filet mignon that has been seasoned with spices.

When in Double, try an all-time favourite, Merlot.

If you prefer white wines try Chardonnay or Viognier.

 

Some Visits are not Worth It!

A couple of months ago, I received an email from a winery asking me to visit and taste their wines. Of course, I was expected to write up on the winery and review the wines.

The winery was out in Abbotsford. Approximate 50 KM away a drive of just over one hour.

An appoint was made and off my wife and I went. Upon arrive we received a simple hello. I explained to the young lady we had an appointment to meet the owner. Sorry she said he is not here today. I now had to explain that we had an appointment. I present my business card .The young lady took the card and disappeared . She returned a few minutes later saying "I can give you a tasting". 

We proceeded through a four-glass sampling of their wines, which the young lady did with very little input. We then did a self-tour of the winery, taking numerous photos.

When leaving, as is our custom, we purchased one bottle of wine. I quickly swiped my card, and we headed on to the next winery down the road. "Hi Barb, Hi Bob, so nice to see you!"

Upon arriving home, we checked the receipt from the first winery. We were shocked

Tasting $30

Bottle of wine $32 

Tip $7.25

Now remember they invited us!!

 Now, where we live, lunch is included in our rent. We missed lunch due to the distance involved. We had to buy lunch, and our loss on that is $12 plus $47. So that trip cost us approximately $130. But wait, there is also the cost of gas!

Did I write up the first winery absolutely not!!

But this is not the first time in 2024 that we have been charged the tasting fee. With today's rising costs, I can not afford to travel to the wineries and pay $30 minutes every time I walk into a winery.

There are also fees included in the cost of running a website. 

But let me be totally honest: Most wineries do not charge us tasting fees, and some even provide a free bottle of wine to take home. We never ask or demand anything from a winery other than truly good hospitality and a little respect.

 Every once in a while, you come across a truly exceptional wine—one that goes perfectly with the evening meal.  On this occasion we were having an all-white Turkey loaf.

What wine were we going to select to enjoy with the turkey!  After careful consideration, we selected a Gewurztraminer from a local winery, Backyard Vineyards.

Backyard Vineyards is a full production winery located among the rolling hills of South Langley, BC in the Fraser Valley wine region. July 4 2018 Diamond Estates operating as Lakeview Wine Co purchased Backyard Vineyards.

The tasting room at Backyard Vineyards is cool all summer long, and when winter sets in, it’s a perfectly cozy gathering place.

The winery won a gold medal at the Intervin International Wine Awards for their 2015 Syrah along with 3 silvers. 

It was the perfect choice. The wine and turkey complimented each other .

Backyard Vineyards Gewürztraminer 2021 was a most refreshing light wine featuring peach and melon with hints of honey

www.winesofcanada.com/bobs_picks.html

 

 The newest trend and perhaps the right trend is "sit down" wine tasting versus standing at the counter. Your mood, your attitude about what you are looking for and the people you are with can all change depending upon the tasting experience experience. 

The experience I love the most is the sit-down wine tasting experience, where I can taste high level wines with a trained server while I interact with my friends. especially when I am on my forth winery of the day. As I get older standing is not the best. I want to relax and savour the wines.

It would seem more and more wineries are promoting the "sit down experience"

You feel less rushed with a sit-down tasting Usually you have around 75-90 minutes to take your time and enjoy the process. I like a time frame, but a big one, where I don’t feel hurried.

Enjoying wine is all about community. I love the interaction and discussion in a wine tasting. You can get the synergy with both options, but I find it is so much easier than in a sit-down setting.

When visiting a winery with friends a sitting experiences enhances the coverage, rather than been spread out in a straight line at the counter The intimate environment is difficult standing at a bar. If you are feeling a more energetic vibe, I like tasting at a bar. I tend to prefer the smaller amount of people in a quitter setting.

Every time I visit a winery, I want to learn something new. I love it when there is an knowledgeable server who can share with our group the backstory of the winery, the vineyard practices, how the wine is made, what restaurants to go to, and so on. A good server engages and answers questions, but they don’t hover. A good server discerns when to engage and when to let you enjoy your group alone. At a sit-down tasting, the server has more room to move about and visit another table, letting you enjoy your company whereas at the bar you may feel the need to constantly engage with the server and not so much with the person next to you.

Experiencing the good stuff: Sit-down tastings showcase a winery’s best wines in their best stemware. There often are food pairings or a charcuterie board to use as a wine pairing experience. Sharing these dishes is better at a table. For the most part, food is not an option at a stand-up bar.

Reservations: Most wineries allow reservations sit-down tastings. They work the same way as in a restaurant. I like knowing that there is a table or couch arrangement ready for my group at a particular time. When I arrive my spot is reserved, the glasses are buffed, the wine is ready, and the server is scheduled. Sweet. With a stand-up tasting, you do not have to arrive at a particular time, but you may have a wait.

I have learned that there is not a big difference a stand-up but I do feel you get so much more for your money. You relax more, you enjoy the interaction with friend and staff more. You may get the crystal stemware to taste out of, the reserve wines, the interaction with a trained server, a quieter room with a view, a place to unwind, and intimate time with your company.

A study done in the USA and Canada by SVB Wines showed a grated "up sale" for the winery in seated tasting.

Unfortunately the seating experience is not that easy for the small wineries where the owner does it all!

Parts of this article come from the resident Sommelier and Owner, Mick Wilson of Wilson Creek Winery

Fees to taste are standard operating procedure at most wineries, though some still offer complimentary tastings or refunded tastings with the purchase of wine. Every winery is different, so ask in advance if you’re curious about fees and reimbursements. If you like the "sit down" experience be willing to pay more. 

winebell@outlook.com

winesofcanada@outlook.com

 Donald Triggs is the founder along with his wife Elaine of Culmina Family Estate Winery in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley ( The family sold the winery). Wine consumers will know him as the man whose name appears the very popular Canadian Wines Jackson-Triggs. 

Growing up in rural Manitoba as the sixth generation on a family farm, Don developed a passion for the land and a farming lifestyle very early in life. While Don's career led him into leadership roles in consumer goods marketing, agro business and the wine industry around the world, Don's life has now come full circle as co- proprietor of Culmina Family Estate Winery in the Okanagan.

A marketer, entrepreneur and builder at heart, Donald started his career in marketing at Colgate Palmolive after completing a B.Sc.H in Agriculture at the University of Manitoba and an MBA at the Richard Ivey School of Business. In 1972 he became the marketing manger for Parkdale winery in Ontario. He joined Labatts spending 10 years with John Labatt's wine division, first leading the Canadian and then their U.S. wineries. This sharpened Don's understanding of the wine market from a consumer, a grower and a financial perspective in Canada and internationally. The next seven years saw Don return to Canada and the UK where he and his new team grew a struggling Fison's North American Horticulture business in to a leader in North America

In 1989, three partners, 26 fellow employees and Don pooled their life's savings to purchase the wine business of John Labatt. With the impending North American Free Trade deal's elimination of all protective barriers and an often questioned potential for the quality and future of Canadian wine, much of the banking and financial community thought that Don and his partners had “totally lost it”. The team only saw opportunity and with partner Alan Jackson they co-founded the Jackson-Triggs brand which went on to drive the growth of the new company, renamed Vincor International Inc., through 12 acquisitions to become the largest winery in Canada, and the 7 th largest in the world with 14 wineries and 2,250 employees located in Canada, United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Feeling the pull of their farming roots and love of wine, in 1998, Don & Elaine purchased a 100 acre apple orchard on the Niagara Parkway in Niagara-on-the- Lake, Ontario and over the next three years, planted eight vinifera varietals, with each of the two or three selected clones grafted onto two or three different rootstocks. Delaine Vineyard became their first research project to develop the best possible viticultural practices in order to produce the highest quality wine grapes . June 2006, Delaine Vineyard was sold as they prepared for their next adventure. 

In June of 2006, Vincor International was acquired by Constellation Brands. Don immediately resigned so that he could once again pursue his entrepreneurial passion in the business he loved. Don and his wife Elaine then re-shaped their life's vision to start a new venture, Culmina Family Estate Winery.

At an age when most people retire, Donald and Elaine have ploughed their considerable life savings into a major new Okanagan winery. “Retirement to me is a nasty word because it implies stopping,” Donald says. “I don’t think life is about stopping. It is about

continuing and doing what you love.” (1) 

As a Canadian business entrepreneur and as a champion of the Canadian wine industry Don's contribution has been recognized in Canada and abroad:

~ American Marketing Association's Marketing Hall of Legends Inductee (2006)

~ Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Canada (2003)

~ Christopher Newton Award for Extraordinary Vision in Business (2003) 

~ Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin de Bourgogne (2002) 

~ Tony Aspler Award of Excellence (2001)

~ American Marketing Association Marketer of the Year (2000) 

~ Commandeur d' Honneur du Bontemps de Medoc et des Graves (200) 

~ Donald Triggs named winners of this 2016 Canadian Wine Industry Awards.

DIRECTORSHIPS AND ORGANIZATION INVOLVEMENT

~ Past Chair of About Face, Wine Council of Ontario, and Canadian Wine Institute.

~ Past director of Shaw Theatre Festival, Brock University, Public Policy Forum, Samsonite

~ Corporation and BC Hydro. Member: B.C Wine Institute, Canadian Vintners Association, 

~ World President's Organisation, Ivey School of Business Advisory Board 

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science, Agriculture (H), 1966, University of Manitoba Masters of Business Administration (MBA),

1968, R ichard Ivey School of B usiness, University of Western Ontario 

Honourary Doctorate of Laws, 2004, Brock University

Honourary Doctorate of Commerce, 2007, Ryerson University