Tag Archives: mystery case

Okanagan Delight

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171512

Gehringer Brothers Ehenfelser 2018
$12.99 regularly $14.99
12.9% alcohol

Grown Primarily in the country of it’s origin, Germany, and is very popular in the Okanagan since the vineyard introduced itto Canada.

Ehrenfelser derives its name from the Burg Ehrenfels ruins located on the Rhine near Rüdesheim. It is also known under the synonym Geisenheim 9-93.

The grape tends to ripen earlier and produce higher yields than Riesling.  It also makes an excellent Ice Wine.

Ehrenfelser was crossed with Reichensteiner to create Ehrenbreitsteiner.

Since 2010 the winery hasn’t missed a year winning an Award – and we love their philosophy of producing excellent winesat affordable prices.

As B Says The Brothers G can do no wrong

Lovely Stone fruit flavours with a long and lingering finish.

Goes great with BBQ Chicken or, in our case, Shepherd’s Pie

Pucker Power

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127019

Vouvray sec Vincent

$23.99

13.5% alcohol

A father/son vineyard in the Loire Valley, Vincent Raimbault and his son produce wonderful wines from 25 to 60 year old vines. 3 Generations have been working this 14 ha site that is on a slight elevation with a definite Atlantic influence. Clay with outcrops of sand and silex on limestone bedrock.

There is a lovely maturity to this white. It’s fresh and fruity. We were immediately impressed with the flavours. Definitely a 00 in sweetness.

It worked wonderfully with a roasted organic chicken and a sheet of roasted veggies (parsnips, small BC potatoes, red pepper slabs, red onion quarters and a leek.) Homemade pickled beets rounded out the plate.

Classic Dinner

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Code: 589432

$16.49

Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhone

It’s a lovely blend of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne and Viognier.


Very well balanced.  It’s not one of the mystery case offerings. But, this is one of our favourite white blends and a standard ‘go-to’ if the mind hits a blank when wandering the isles.  Always good to have one in reserve.


Teamed up with an easy one pan dinner:  An omelette. The Treehouse Twist is to melt a little Feta/Kashkaval cheese mix on top.  We like the sheep variety of the Kashkaval and our’s is a Bulgarian import.


Home stewed rhubarb on top of Frozen Yogurt was a refreshing dessert.

Treating Himself

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Guest Andy Brown:

I decided to treat myself today.  

A Sterling Silver Striploin steak with baked potato, grilled yam and peas, washed down with a delectable Inniskillin 2009 “Dark Horse Estate” Meritage.  

Don’t have an exact price on the wine but it was in my $40+ section of the wine cooler.  

Whatever, it was worth it.  An excellent complement to the steak.  It is composed of 50% Merlot, 30% Cab Sav and 20% Cab Franc.  The description says the careful crafting of the individual wines “has yielded a deep purple toned wine with ripe cherry and chocolate aromas, firm tannins, and rich flavours of vanilla-infused oak and plums.”  The components underwent extended fermentation in their skins, followed by barrel aging for 12 months in French and American oak.  

Being in the bottle for 11 years did not hurt I’m sure.  I made a special toast to Di who I’m sure instigated this purchase.  She was the real wine aficionado- I can’t think of any of her selections that I did not like.  

Photos: Andy Brown

Not Big. Not Little. Just medium. Just Right.

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sku 478727

Catena Malbec

13.5% alcohol

Regularly $24.99, on sale for $19.99 in the second Mystery Case


Mendoza High mountain vines 2017

3rd generation family vintner and one of the pioneers for higher elevation Malbecs. Father/Daughter now bring us these wines. We first had a red from them about 3 years ago and very much enjoyed it. This is a reminder to imprint vineyard logos in your head for future reference.

Its medium bodied and mellower than its French counterparts. 3000 – 5000 feet above sea level and raised in oak for a full year. It has a nice, long finish.

I think it’s a lot of wine for its price – and exceptional value when on sale.

Would he feed me?

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$21.49

SKU: 100753

100% Picpoul grape variety from Southern France in the Langudoc region… and another hit from Gerard Bertrand and his amazing vineyards.

I’m ready to move if this is representative of the terroir of the region. I’ll even help harvest (if he’ll fed me). I’ll take my wages in wine the following year.

It’s light yet complex. Full Bodied and crisp. Make that lively.  I was almost (but not quite) willing to give up dinner and just ’suck em up’

We did an uptown version of fish and chips … roasted potato wedges with grilled salmon steaks and coleslaw.

It needs something soft and gentle on the stereo … call up the girlfriend and ask her to sing for us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UNQ7Il8wG0

A Prayer

Give me a line so that I can walk
Give me a name so I won’t get lost
Give me a dream, a dream to hold on to
Give me a vision to help me resist.

Give me a child to make my confessions to
Give me a kiss to wash away the evil
Wake me in the morning with a song
which would bless my life.

As your broker would tell you Buy NOW!  Say you are investing in Pale Gold

Rugger to Vintner

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SKU: 261008


Gerard Bertrand Corbieres 

$19.99


Grenache Syrah Mourvedre blend

Gerard Bertrand is a former rugby union player who took over the family vineyard after the accidental death of his father to he has become a renowned in the Langudoc-Roussillon region. He now owns and manages 13 Wine Estates in the region and was Red Winemaker of the Year in 2012 in the International Wine Challenge.

Wikipedia tells us:
Corbières is an Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) for wine in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, and it is this region’s largest AOC, responsible for 46 per cent of the region’s AOC wine production in 2005. Red wine dominates the production in Corbières with almost 95 per cent, with 3.5 per cent rosé wine and 2 per cent white wine making up the balance. Carignan is the most common grape variety. The AOC was created in 1985, covers 13,500 hectares (33,000 acres) of vineyards and produces an average of 554,000 hectoliters of wine per year, corresponding to 74 million bottles.

It’s lovely and rich and wonderfully bodied.

Mashed Spuds next time

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I’d like to introduce guest Taster, Andy Brown.

Di and I first found this wine in Edmonton when we lived in Athabasca – so some 20 years ago.  We were attracted to it as it’s a McLaren Vale wine and those wineries produce good reds.  

It’s a medium red, bit like a Merlot.  It’s a nice change from Shiraz and Cab Sav, but not quite right for red meat like beef or lamb.  Was okay with the sausages.  

But that’s based on my South Australian taste buds, which as you know can vary from others, even Hunter Valley.   

This one I bought at Cascadia here in Courtenay for $31.49.   A bit rich actually and not quite worth that money.  Likely at that price since it’s a 2016 vintage.  

Ed: It’s also available at the BC Liquor Stores

Combined this with a couple of Hertel’s British Bangers, some artichokes and peas and carrots.  Pretty good, but would have been better with mashed spuds.  

You know what they look like

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BCLCB 30513


2016 Salice Salentino Riserva


$14.99


The Puglia Region – provinces of Brindisi and Lecce – has been cultivated for over 1500 years.  Lots of limey soil, which this grape likes.

There are two schools of thought on the origin of the Negroamaro’s name. The first is that it is a modern Italian translation (where negro means black and amaro means bitter) referring to the variety’s dark colouring and savory flavours. However, the hot southern extremity of Italy is known to produce ripe red wines with high sugar levels, so bitter should not be taken too literally. The second school of thought employs a Latin-Greek interpretation and says it means dark black, a reference to Negroamaro’s intense colour.


Rich, black fruit flavours.  Medium structure with a lovely balance. Each sip grows on you.  I like the earthiness.

I’d certainly use this again … maybe instead of a Chianti

You’all know what sausages look like on the plate (apricot with goat cheese), and you know what perogies look like (potato/bacon/onion), so we will dispense with the pictures of the plate.  Suffice to say that they were yummy, with sheep yogurt instead of sour cream with the perogies.