Category Archives: Terroir

 MERLOT

1,618 ACRES PLANTED (654 HECTARES)

Merlot is BC’s most planted grape. In most parts of the world, Merlot is renowned as having soft tannins and a lush, rich texture. In BC, for reasons linked to the unique climate, the structure of Merlot is completely different. It naturally produces more structured, higher tannin wines than in most parts of the world. BC Merlot will typically have a medium to full body, medium to high tannins and flavours that include black cherry, black plum, chocolate and floral violet notes. As in many parts of the world it is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

 PINOT NOIR

1,331 ACRES PLANTED (538 HECTARES)

Pinot Noir has grown more rapidly in terms of acreage (79% between 2006 and 2014) than any other widely planted red grape as growers find it well suited to the BC terroir. Most of the plantings are in the central to north part of the Okanagan Valley as the hottest areas are mostly too hot for this early-ripening variety. Style wise, BC Pinot Noir tends to have both bright intense cherry, strawberry and raspberry fruit flavour as well as complex spice notes, along with medium tannins and high levels of acidity for structure. As a result, good quality BC Pinot Noir tends to age very well.

 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

853 ACRES PLANTED (345 HECTARES)

Cabernet Sauvignon in BC is best suited to the warmest sites, typically on the eastern side of the Okanagan Valley near Osoyoos or on the south-facing benches of Cawston in the Similkameen Valley. Typical Cabernet Sauvignon in BC has intense cassis and blackberry fruit, structured tannins and high acidity, with a notable dried sage or tobacco note. The wines from ripe vintages can age very well, often drinking well for more than a decade.

 CABERNET FRANC

719 ACRES PLANTED (290 HECTARES)

Cabernet Franc is increasingly making expressive, quality varietal wines, rather than its usual role as a blending grape in most of the world. It seems to have a particular affinity with the climate of the South Okanagan and Similkameen, producing wines with bright red fruit, ripe tannins, intense perfume and just a pretty hint of the herbaceous/tobacco character that can be overpowering in overly cool climates. In warm years it produces rich, structured wines yet in cool years it does not overly suffer from greenness, making it well suited to the BC climate.

 SYRAH

553 ACRES PLANTED (223 HECTARES)

BC has proven it is well suited to making intensely flavoured, cool climate Syrah and because of this BC Syrah is consistently named the top red wine in Canada in wine competitions. BC Syrah falls somewhere between the rich, riper style of warmer climate Australian wines and the medium-bodied, fresher, peppery wines of the northern Rhône Valley in France. BC Syrah is intense in fruit, gamey, floral and retains lots of black pepper notes.

 GAMAY NOIR

189 ACRES PLANTED (76 HECTARES)

Gamay plantings are only small in BC but it is gaining in popularity as it consistently produces high-quality wines. The momentum towards lighter, juicier red wines among a growing number of consumers is also helping Gamay’s popularity. A typical BC Gamay will be light in body and tannin with fresh juicy acidity, a silky texture and flavours of red berry fruit, cinnamon and minerality.

Courtesy: Wine Growers of BC

 PINOT GRIS

1,166 ACRES PLANTED (471 HECTARES)

The number one white grape variety
in terms of acreage in BC. The style of Pinot Gris in BC has been, and in many cases still is, quite varied following both the crisper, lighter, fresher style of Pinot Grigio in northern Italy as well as the richer, honeyed, off-dry and more tropical style of Alsace. The majority of BC Pinot Gris though could best be described as something fruitier and fuller bodied than the Pinot Grigio of Italy yet lighter and fresher than the wines of Alsace. Both the French and Italian names are used, often varying based on the style. They are typically dry or off-dry with a medium body and flavours and aromas of pear, honeydew or cantaloupe melon, lemon, and sometimes a little honey, minerality and baking spice.

 CHARDONNAY

1,132 ACRES PLANTED (458 HECTARES)

The style of Chardonnay produced in BC varies from a few unoaked versions with crisp acidity and often crisp apple flavours to world-class barrel fermented wines with complex lees, oak and fruit flavours. The naturally high acidity achieved in BC and the peach, lemon and nectarine flavours when combined with quality oak barrel fermentation and aging on lees can make for very highly regarded wines. Many of BC’s most internationally awarded wines have been Chardonnay.

 GEWÜRZTRAMINER

646 ACRES PLANTED (261 HECTARES)

Gewürztraminer is another Alsatian variety that grows well in BC. The variety has been planted in the province for many years and continues to slowly gain popularity. Between 2006 and 2014 plantings increased by 61%. Known for generating wines with intense aromatics and fruitiness, BC with its unique climate, is an ideal location for producing such a pronounced floral variety. Ripening to high alcohol levels, often around 14%, the variety can lose acidity quickly and become a touch flabby. In BC, the natural high acidity that remains from the cool nights means this is rarely an issue. The wines typically show aromas of lychee, rose petal and ripe stone fruit, often with a touch of sweetness.

 RIESLING

613 ACRES PLANTED (248 HECTARES)

Riesling has always been present in BC but it took a while for it to be taken seriously and the wines are increasingly building a top-quality reputation. From 2006 to 2014, plantings of Riesling grew by 86%. BC Riesling can be both the soft, fruity, off-dry style or, increasingly, a dry, high acid, intense apple, lime and mineral flavoured style that has received international attention. A few producers are also making sweeter, low-alcohol German Kabinett-style wines. Many of the Riesling wines have a great ability to age and some have been cellared for more than a decade.

 SAUVIGNON BLANC

403 ACRES PLANTED (163 HECTARES)

Sauvignon Blanc experienced the same popular explosion in the 1990s that Pinot Gris is experiencing today, being planted rapidly all over the world. Plantings in BC increased quite rapidly in the middle of the 2000s. The BC style benefits from the natural high acidity and fruit ripeness. Both the crisp, zingy, green bean, grass and asparagus style as well as a riper, tropical fruit, richer version can be found. Some of the most successful wines are oak fermented and blended with Semillon to make wines along the lines of white Bordeaux.

 PINOT BLANC

232 ACRES PLANTED (94HECTARES)

Once one of the most planted white grapes in BC, Pinot Blanc has failed to find widespread popularity and acreage has decline. BC Pinot Blanc generally has fresh acid, a medium body and characteristic apple peel flavours, and can make for some great value, characterful wines.

 VIOGNIER

234 ACRES PLANTED (94 HECTARES)

The growth of Viognier from existing only as a small, local curiosity in the northern Rhône to a worldwide mainstream grape variety has been rapid and the trend has not missed BC. Viognier in BC often attains the heady scents of jasmine and stone fruit but retains freshness from the trademark crisp BC acidity. Viognier is increasingly being blended with two other Rhône varieties, Marsanne and Roussanne. Marsanne and Roussanne are not as aromatic as Viognier but share the same rich, soft texture. These blends are proving some of the most successful BC white blends in recent competitions although plantings of these blending partners are still small. Viognier is also increasingly being used to add perfume, texture and brightness of colour to Syrah when blended prior to fermentation in small amounts.

Courtesy: Wine Growers of BC

the quiet carpet of leaves on a trail softening footsteps

a bonfire of burning leaves

squirrels chattering as they gather harvest 

subtle changes your music playlist

more reds than whites in the wine rack

crisp fruits like apples in the veggy keep

acorns bouncing off the pavement

picking a pumkin for the jack-o-lantern and watching it’s progress

the click of snapping buttons on a jacket you haven’t worn for 8 months

the crackle of the baseboards as they click on for the first time

a new lustre to the sky in the morning and also at dusk

An increased honking of the geese as they are getting ready to depart

What does it for you?

The Human Body is a treasure trove of mysteries — one that still confounds doctors and scientists about the details of its working. It’s not an overstatement to say that every part of your body is a miracle. Here are facts about your body, some of which may leave you stunned.

1. It is possible for your body to survive without a surprisingly large fraction of its internal organs. Even if you lose your stomach, your spleen, 75% of your liver, 80% of your intestines, one kidney, one lung, and virtually every organ from your pelvic and groin area, you wouldn’t be very healthy, but you would live.

2. During your lifetime, you will produce enough saliva to fill two swimming pools. Actually, saliva is more important than you realize. If your saliva cannot dissolve something, you cannot taste it.

3. The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm. The egg is actually the only cell in the body that is visible by the naked eye.

4. The strongest muscle in the human body is the tongue and the hardest bone is the jawbone.

5. Human feet have 52 bones, accounting for one quarter of all the human body’s bones.

6. Feet have 500,000 sweat glands and can produce more than a pint of sweat a day.

7. The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razor blades. The reason it doesn’t eat away at your stomach is that the cells of your stomach wall renew themselves so frequently that you get a new stomach lining every three to four days.

8. The human lungs contain approximately 2,400 kilometers (1,500 mi) of airways and 300 to 500 million hollow cavities, having a total surface area of about 70 square meters, roughly the same area as one side of a tennis court. Furthermore, if all of the capillaries that surround the lung cavities were unwound and laid end to end, they would extend for about 992 kilometers. Also, your left lung is smaller than your right lung to make room for your heart.

9. Sneezes regularly exceed 100 mph, while coughs clock in at about 60 mph.

10. Your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil.

11. Your body has enough iron in it to make a nail 3 inches long.

12. Earwax production is necessary for good ear health. It protects the delicate inner ear from bacteria, fungus, dirt and even insects. It also cleans and lubricates the ear canal.

13. Everyone has a unique smell, except for identical twins, who smell the same.

14. Your teeth start growing 6 months before you are born. This is why one out of every 2,000 newborn infants has a tooth when they are born.

15. A baby’s head is one-quarter of its total length, but by the age of 25 will only be one-eighth of its total length. This is because people’s heads grow at a much slower rate than the rest of their bodies

16. Babies are born with 300 bones, but by adulthood the number is reduced to 206. Some of the bones, like skull bones, get fused into each other, bringing down the total number.

17. It is not possible to tickle yourself. This is because when you attempt to tickle yourself you are totally aware of the exact time and manner in which the tickling will occur, unlike when someone else tickles you.

18. Less than one third of the human race has 20-20 vision. This means that two out of three people cannot see perfectly.

19. Your nose can remember 50,000 different scents. But if you are a woman, you are a better smeller than men, and will remain a better smeller throughout your life.

20. The human body is estimated to have 60,000 miles of blood vessels.

21. The three things pregnant women dream most of during their first trimester are frogs, worms and potted plants. Scientists have no idea why this is so, but attribute it to the growing imbalance of hormones in the body during pregnancy.

22. The life span of a human hair is 3 to 7 years on average. Every day the average person loses 60-100 strands of hair. But don’t worry, you must lose over 50% of your scalp hairs before it is apparent to anyone.

23. The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as an encyclopedia. Your brain uses 20% of the oxygen that enters your bloodstream, and is itself made up of 80% water. Though it interprets pain signals from the rest of the body, the brain itself cannot feel pain.

24. The tooth is the only part of the human body that can’t repair itself.

25. Your eyes are always the same size from birth but your nose and ears never stop growing

26. By 60 years of age, 60% of men and 40% of women will snore.

27. We are about 1 cm taller in the morning than in the evening, because during normal activities during the day, the cartilage in our knees and other areas slowly compress.

28. The brain operates on the same amount of power as 10-watt light bulb, even while you are sleeping. In fact, the brain is much more active at night than during the day.

29. Nerve impulses to and from the brain travel as fast as 170 miles per hour. Neurons continue to grow throughout human life. Information travels at different speeds within different types of neurons.

30. It is a fact that people who dream more often and more vividly, on an average have a higher Intelligence Quotient.

31. The fastest growing nail is on the middle finger.

32. Facial hair grows faster than any other hair on the body. This is true for women as well as men.

33. There are as many hairs per square inch on your body as a chimpanzee.

34. A human fetus acquires fingerprints at the age of three months.

35. By the age of 60, most people will have lost about half their taste buds.

36. About 32 million bacteria call every inch of your skin home. But don’t worry, a majority of these are harmless or even helpful bacteria.

37. The colder the room you sleep in, the higher the chances are that you’ll have a bad dream.

38. Human lips have a reddish color because of the great concentration of tiny capillaries just below the skin.

39. Three hundred million cells die in the human body every minute.

40. Like fingerprints, every individual has an unique tongue print that can be used for identification.

41. A human head remains conscious for about 15 to 20 seconds after it has been decapitated.

42. It takes 17 muscles to smile and 43 to frown.

43. Humans can make do longer without food than sleep Provided there is water, the average human could survive a month to two months without food depending on their body fat and other factors. Sleep deprived people, however, start experiencing radical personality and psychological changes after only a few sleepless days. The longest recorded time anyone has ever gone without sleep is 11 days, at the end of which the experimenter was awake, but stumbled over words, hallucinated and frequently forgot what he was doing.

44. The most common blood type in the world is Type O. The rarest blood type, A-H or Bombay blood, due to the location of its discovery, has been found in fewer than hundred people since it was discovered.

45. Every human spent about half an hour after being conceived, as a single cell. Shortly afterward, the cells begin rapidly dividing and begin forming the components of a tiny embryo.

46. Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people do.

47. Your ears secrete more earwax when you are afraid than when you aren’t.

48. Koalas and primates are the only animals with unique fingerprints.

49. Humans are the only animals to produce emotional tears.

50. The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30 feet in the air.

There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good.

So, love the people who treat you right. Think good thoughts for the ones who don’t.

Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is part of LIFE..Getting back up is LIVING…

I’ve often remarked that it’s all about terroir – and what should be included in any wine review is the terroir of the people sharing the wine with you.  The diversity of the conversation plays a role in savouring the moment.

Just because I’ve trained vines, worked harvests, bottled and labeled wine doesn’t make me more qualified to talk about a specific vintage. Was my backache from 

carting carboys of grapes influential in how a certain vintage tasted?  NOT!

If there is one less person of a habitual group of gatherers does that mean the wine is going to be a different shared experience?  Only in their head.

Terroir is personality.   And personality can be altered.  Wild or cultured yeast to kick start fermentation makes a difference to the end product.  

Now I ask you:  Gummies are plant based.  Grapes are a plant based fruit.  So, … why can’t gummies be used as a descriptor in a wine review?  Just askin.

I belabour the point ….. what’s your terroir? — it matters to me!

And then there’s nights you just want a beer.

What say you?

But, going through the ‘big’ book is still entertaining and educational.  I have the 4th Edition, (2005) and the most recent is only 2011.  There will be the newly approved appellations and such.  The world of wine moves ever forward, and many appellation systems throughout the world are in flux. New sections on cooperages, glassware, and an expanded variety section are good additions.

Lots of images, plenty of maps and details details details. easy to use format is the same; divided by country and then by region.

Its one of those lovely books that you can pick up 100 times, land on 100 different pages, and have each one bring new possible adventures to mind. History. Culture.Terroir. All in one place.

Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia Hardcover – Unabridged, October 31, 2011

• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0756686840