DINNER AT BACKYARD VINEYARDS

On a beautiful September evening my wife and  I joined another dozen people for dinner at the Fraser valley winery. We admired the sun setting over the vineyards with a glass of Blanc de Noir Brut. The appetizers were also enjoyable including Charcuterie, Cheeses,preserves, home made pickles and more.

We chatted with winemaker James Cambridge and co-owner Trent Blackwell.

Dinner was served at a long wooden table under a  log beamed gazebo. Chef Chris Whittaker from Vancouver's Forage restaurant provided a most delicious three course meal. The first course was a light picked summer Beet Salad, Wild Greens Okanagan Goat Cheese, Agassie hazelnuts and Black Pepper Praline, It was served with my favourite the 2013 Gewurztraminer

The second course was an Applewood Grilled Organic Ocean Sockeyed Salmon with roasted Squash and Chantrelles along with Mustard Spaetzle. The wine  was the 2011 Syrah. This wine has gained three silver medals silver medals in international competition. Made with grapes from the Osoyoos vineyard. It is a bold, dark wine with aromas of black cherry and plum leading to flavours  of plum and prune.


The final course was served with Porch a port style wine that went well withe Apple Crumple and Raw Honey Ice Cream.

WE had a really good time at this event the hospitality was  outstanding witha enjooy group of dinner guests including visitors from Ontario and Kim owner of Sardis Park Wines in Chilliwack

After dinner my wife and I enjoyed coffee in the tasting room with Trent who also showed me the under construction tasting room expansion. Backyard Vineyards a winery to watch in 2015.



previous visit

Wine and Dine On Vancouver Island

May we take a moment to recommend two wineries with dinning facilities for your dinning pleasure.
My wife and I had a very enjoyable experience at Unsworth Restaurant and the Muse Winery Bristo Muse Garden Restaurant

This past Wednesday after touring the winery we had lunch at Cowichan Valley’s Unsworth Restaurant. The restaurant is located off a picturesque country road winding through the working farms and rolling hills surrounding us in the heart of Cowichan’s wine country. The restaurant itself is located in a restored farmhouse built in 1895; with  both  outdoor patio and the interior dining room  from which you can enjoy views overlooking 12 acres of sustainably managed vineyard.

We had the please of meeting the manager Christle Pope and touring the restaurant. Its a very well designed with a nice menu.  My wife had a most delicious Scallop dish while I enjoyed the Potato Leak Soup and the pork Sandwich. All wonderfully prepared by Chef Steven Elskens.

The following afternoon we were at The Muse Winery in Deep Cove on the Saanich Peninsula. Our lunch began with a glass of Orta provided by owner Jane Ellmann.  Its a patio setting with tables nicely arranged between the tasting room and the vineyard. 

The food features local farmers, producers and fisherman. Barbara and I chose to select two dishes and share them.  It was hard to make a selection  so many good selections We finally choose the Bruschetta and Quinoa Salad over greens.  A most delicious lunch, good wines and  excellent service

See addition on our Island visit at www.winesofcanada.com

Free My Wine

A new Harris Decima poll shows that Canadians want the federal government to remove the limitation on importing wine from other provinces.

I would like to be able to walk into a store be it grocery or retailer and buy wines from any and all provinces in Canada. Not been able to purchase a wine with ease from my own country is stupid.

Studies have shown Canadian are drinking more of our own wines than ever before
Canadian want the choice to freely select their wine from their local store

Late Harvest Wines

Growing grapes for the production of icewine( Ice wine) is not an easy adventure.  To meet the high standard Grapes are left on the vine well into the winter months. The resulting freezing and thawing of the grapes dehydrates the fruit and concentrates the sugars, acids, and extracts in the fruit, thereby intensifying the flavours and adding complexity to the wine. This juice is then fermented very slowly for several months, stopping naturally. Genuine Icewine must be naturally produced; no artificial freezing is permitted.

However the weather does not always co-operate, birds also enjoy the grapes as do the deer. Sometimes it is necessary for the winery to harvest what they can before the conditions arre met to make icewine. This is an opportunity to make a Late Harvest wine.

Late Harvest Wines are usually sweet and therefore are classified as a dessert wine

Some wineries actually decide at the start of the season that they will make Late Harvest wines not icewine.

Late, Select Late and Special Select Late Harvest Wine

1. Each category must be produced entirely from Fresh ripe grapes of which a significant portion has been desiccated under natural conditions. Producing a high sugar concentration.

2. For each category the residual sugar and actual alcohol shall result exclusively from the natural sugar of the grapes

Late Harvest Wine - shall be a wine produced exclusively from fresh grapes that have been natural harvest on a vine after achieving a min 23 ° Brix

Select Late Harvest - enhances to 32° brix

Special Late Harvest Wine - enhances to 32° brix

Anthony's Hearthfire Grill

Located on Squdicum harbour in Bellwether on the Bay, Bellingham Wa. offering spectacular views of the San Juan Island we found this five star restaurant. My wife has been there three times once for lunch with friends and twice for dinner. Ive been there twice for dinner.

We come for their early dinner special menu. Only $21.00 what a great price for this four course meal.

Shrimp Cocktail or Chimichurri Steak Bruschetta are the two choices for an appetizer. My wife goes for the Shrimp and I go for the Bruschetta. I rate the Bruschetta as the best ever. Steak is cooked to prefection with an amazing flavour. 

The next course is a soup or salad selection. We have so far always chosen the Ceasar salad. Always fresh with just the right amount of dressing.

The main course offers five selections. Two prawn dishes from my wife selects and finds extremely good.
There is a cod dish, a flank steak and St Louis Ribs. I have chosen the ribs on both occasions. Simply too good to pass up. 

Key Lime • Coconut Cream • Chocolate Mousse  are the dessert selections. Both the Key lime and Chocolate Mouse have proven to be mouth watering wish I had more great choices.

Barbara has tied their Margaritas which she finds to be among the best. I have stayed with the house wine Anthony's Chardonnay very good and nicely priced.

The service is excellent; friendly  staff. The plating is extremely well done.

We can strongly recommend Hearthfire Grill

 

Hot Day in July

Its warm outside. In fact its too warm. It must be in the 90's (sorry metric came in after i was out of school).
But I have the perfect solution for the heat. A nice bottle of Canadian made Chardonnay.

Not just any Chardonnay but a delightful refreshing 2012 Chardonnay from BC's Blackwood Lane.
It is not the first times I've had this scrumptious wine. My wife and I tasted the wine shortly after its release at the Fraser Valley winery. We had the wine a second time at the winery when six of us  relaxed on the wineries patio with cheese , fruit and homemade bread and  crackers.

Another good BC Chardonnay is Burrowing Owls 2012 very smooth with buttery notes; delightfully refreshing. Also Culmina Family Estate 2011 Chardonnay. Made from a small block of 20-year old Chardonnay vines on the Triggs' family estate, A luscious body, and a long, fresh finish to create a wine of outstanding finesse, beauty, elegance, and style.

For more outstanding wines please read Robert's Selections

Dinning Out

There were six of us. Out destination the Arts Club theatre at Granville Island to view the RED Robinson Dinner performance. It was a dinner theatre night. We did not make prior reservations and our first choice Edible Canada was booked solid. Good for them our second choice was  Sandbar Seafood Restaurant.

Its location was rather hard to find tucked in behind a number of retail. It was located upstairs. Since we had a number of  senior citizens in our group we had to take a cargo elevator to reach the restaurant. Prior to arriving we notified Sandbar that six of would be there in 30 minutes for dinner. Did they have a table ready no. Were we greeted with pleasant smiles, no The hostess look confunded.

We stood patiently waiting as other guest arrived some from the elevator some from the stairs and some people coming and going to the restroom.  The hostess' station was also located in from the the stairs leading to the third level an outdoor deck. A bit crowed I would say

Finally we were seated. The waitress arrived about five minutes later which gave me time to study the wine list. Okay I'm impressed by the number of BC wines on the wine list Good for Sandbar.  The price of the wine by the bottle beyond my pocket book

The waitress stood at the opposite end of the table from myself I could not hear a word she was saying
Even when she stood next to me  her soft voice was hard to hear. I ordered a glass of  13 Road  wine
I'm sure they meant Road 13 I had the Honest John a white blend. It was excellent

There was a long wait before our orders were taken. I order the GI Burger. It was a good choice one of the best ever. My wife orders a crab and shrimp salad She was disappointed with her selection of what she called green lettuce.  As we waited on the food bread for four was brought to the table with enough butter for two.

As we were waiting the restaurant became to be filled with Smoke.  I thought it was quite strange that no smoke alarm went off. The waitress came to the table informing us that it was necessary to shut down the grill. Those of us who ordered grill items NEEDED TO select another item from the salads. If it was me I'd be gone by now. However I suggest to the waitress that we be compensated on the bill for the problems.

After making a selection the waitress returned in a few minutes to tell us the gill was now back on. Time was marching on and we were now concerned that we would be late for the Red Robinson Show.

It was now time to buy for the meal We had separate checks. There was no deduction on any of the bills.
The credit card machine fail to work  The waitress fetched a second machine it worked once before failing again The manager had to be called by the waitress. Where was he all night.

There were no good byes or thanks from the staff was we departed

The Red Robinson Dinner show was fanastic.