Everything Wine Magazine Issue 4

the lifestyle surrounding the glass

Continuing the
Camino
A Pilgrim's Journey
Across Spain

Cabra al Romero
Glenterra
ISSUE #4
Sep-Oct 2009
Vineyards

SEp/Oct 20 0 9 EvErything WinE MagazinE iSSuE 4 SEp/Oct 20 0 9 EvErything WinE MagazinE iSSuE 4

2
Contents Decanting 3

Tis the season to harvest
Editor
Jason Sych
in thE WinE WOrld, there the grapes they would im-
Assistant Editors mediately take home to
Jasmine O'Brien is no time of the year that
comes close to having the begin making into wine.
Contributing Writers energy, or importance, of Italian, Portuguese, and
Guy Dalcourt harvest. Bringing in the other assorted languages
A Pilgrim's Glass Dave Ramsden grapes, the crush, fer- bounced off the concrete
Everything Wine's own Guy Ivan Loyola mentation, pressing...it all walls of the loading dock
Dalcourt continues across the Jason Sych is part of the dance that as a forklift moved around
North of Spain to complete ultimately leads to the mo- stacks of crates like grape-
the Camino de Santiago.
Contributing Photographer
ment when a new vintage filled chess pieces. Names
Adelio Trinidad is poured into a glass for were called, and grapes
www.adeliotrinidad.com
p.8 the first time, and tasted.
Friends and I decided
a number of years ago
The vendemmia begins.
disappeared. Slowly, the
crowd dwindled.
Our names were called
Everything Wine that we wanted to take part in the time-honoured around 1 o'clock, and we crammed our ton into the
1
traditions of making wine. Not having grapevines back of the pick-up to begin the ten-minute journey
Cabra al Romero #131-2401 Millstream Road, of our own, we contacted a local organization that from the loading dock to our make-shift winery at
Langford, BC V9B 3R5 imported wine grapes every year for the purpose of the back of one of our houses. It wasn't exactly as
Delicate, herbal, and distinc-
(250) 474-3959 wine making. We signed on, purchased one ton of romantic of a vendemmia as the image of grape har-
tive, this goat cheese from
central Spain is sublime. 998 Marine Drive grapes, and dutifully showed up at 8a.m. on a Satur- vest usually is, but it was a beginning. We would still
North Vancouver, BC V7P3C4 day morning to pick them up. love to have a harvest that takes place in a vineyard,

p.23
(604) 929-7277 The scene was just as you would imagine it: doz- but until that happens we realize a loading dock will
ens of grizzled old Italian and Portuguese men stood have to do. And for us, that is okay because it is still
www.everythingwine.ca around, drinking black coffee and smoking while a vendemmia each year...just without the vines.
waiting for their name to be called so they could get ~JaSOn Sych

Glenterra Vineyards
John Kelly takes us on a walk
through his vineyard and ex-
Questions or comments
for Everything Wine
Click here to Search
magazine?
plains what it takes to make a
stunning Pinot Gris on Vancou-
ver Island.
Please forward any
correspondence to
over 3000 wines online
p.24 jsych@everythingwine.ca
at www.everythingwine.ca

SEp/Oct 20 0 9 EvErything WinE MagazinE iSSuE 4

Words
lost
5

Wine and food pairing
made easy

last seen in my Shari darling, also known as The So-
phisticated Wino, has created a book
wine cellar on that tackles the sometimes daunting art of
May 15, 2009, pairing food and wine. Useful for both
experienced drinkers, as well as novices,
shortly before Darling examines both the science and
my son's May art behind finding what matches between
plate and glass, and looks at far more
long weekend than classical French and Italian dishes.
party. Well structured and planned, the book
begins with a look at the science of taste--
what makes us taste the way we do, what
If you've seen taste is exactly, and how it affects our
perceptions. Darling then breaks wine
this bottle, into comprehensive, if simplified, catego-
or know its ries called wine styles. These styles are
based on the generalized flavour profiles
whereabouts, of wine, and these become the building
please call blocks on which Darling creates her pair-
ing principals.
555-8247 The book is easy to understand, and the
immediately. principals easy to use. Even more helpful
are the informational side-bars that ac-
company each recipe, which outline the
flavour profiles of the dish, and what flavour profiles a wine will need to be optimally paired with it.
The recipes themselves are diverse, with everything from Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya to Wild
Rice and Bulgar Salad with Lemon, Garlic, and Olive Oil, each recipe explaining what to pair with the
flavours of the dish, and why.
Luckily, we have more. Harmony on the Palate is a fantastic resource for not only learning the basics of pairing wine with
Because we truly are food, but for anyone who wants to understand the dynamics of why certain wines work with certain
foods--and conversely, why others don't.
~JaSOn Sych
JaSOn Sych, along with running the Vintage Room at the
Victoria Millstream Everything Wine store, loves pairing
wine and food. But beyond that, he has an even greater
love for pairing food and wine. Harmony on the Palate........................$29.95


Ford Motor Cars has 41 Vintages.
Gadgets 7

We have roughly 684. The ritual of decanting a bottle of wine brings to
mind the leisurely passing of time, not the forceful
activity of carburetors and vacuum cleaners. But the
Vinturi wine aerator, the brilliant new wine gadget
And ours are drinkable. that has hit the market, uses the same principle as
these modern inventions to achieve its desired effect.

Named after “the Venturi effect”, a discovery of
Italian physicist Giovanni Battista Venturi in the late
18th century, the principle states that as the speed
of a moving fluid increases, the pressure within the
fluid decreases. By applying this principle to its de-
sign, the Vinturi wine aerator has revolutionized the
act of decanting, bringing the benefits of full oxygen-
ation to the wine in the time it takes to pour a glass.
Shaped like a jet turbine and made of crystal-like plas-
tic, the Vinturi looks as sleek and efficient as its perfor-
mance. When wine is poured into the top of the Vinturi,
gravity pulls it though a constricted midsection. As the
wine’s velocity increases, its pressure drops dramatically.
Two filament-like tunnels placed across the main axis of the
gadget allow air into the center of the constriction. Sucked
in by the difference of pressure, air mixes with the wine and
aereates it--enough to equal about 1 hours in a decanter.
It sounds technical, but the process is fun to watch; the
wine seethes with tiny bubbles, and makes an enjoy-
able whooshing sound. The wine that fills the glass has
notably enhanced flavors and a finer, smoother tex-
ture, its aromas released and immediate to the senses.

The design is intelligent as well as practical; easy
to clean and store, it’s small enough to take along
to a dinner party to show off to your friends. And
in the case that white wine is preferred, a mod-
el with subtle modifications is available for white.
~ivan lOyOla
ivan lOyOla is a Sales Associate in the North Vancouver Every-
thing Wine store. He loves things that combine with wine and
make a whooshing sound.

Vinturi wine aereator....................................................$53.99
Come in and check out our Vintages room.

A Pilgrim's Glass
thE caMinO dE SantiagO runs 780 kilo-
metres across northern Spain, winding
its way through the wine and cuisine
of countless towns, villages, and cities
before reaching the Atlantic Ocean
at Finisterre. Everything Wine's own
Guy Dalcourt tied on his hiking boots,
grabbed his pack, and headed down
the road where the Camino passes
though the wine regions of Ribera del
Duero, Bierzo, and Galicia, experi-
encing not only the culture of the pil-
grim trail, but the culture of the wines,
food, and people along the way.

By guy dalcOurt
phOtOgraphS By Barry ByErS
&
Mandy thOMpSOn


10 prEcEEding pagES: A view of 11
It's 5:30 a.m., and pitch dark in mother’s home. the windmills in Galicia. the barn” syndrome—anticipating covered 34 kilometers, but could
Vega da Valcarce. Still, it’s my usual We decided to walk at a good lEft: A marker showing the the end of the journey before it is not find room in the albergue
start of the day. There are very few pace, coming down from 1400 scallop shell--the symbol of St. complete. Sometimes looking too when we stopped. We searched
pilgrims in the albergue; Patrice, meters to about 400, and we James. far ahead can jeopardize the for a room elsewhere in the vil-
an elementary school teacher, is agreed it would be best to take lessons the objective can teach. lage, realizing that as the Cami-
pulling his pack on—Patrice left advantage of the downhill momen- BElOW: Three women discuss- Patrice and I finished our long no nears Santiago the number
his home in Nancy, France, three tum. Later, we each bought an ex- ing politics--or getting ready to day at 4 p.m., when we arrived in of pilgrims swells. We managed
months ago. For him it was just like tra bocadillo (a sandwich made of do some serious weeding. the town of Triacastela. We had to find modest accommodation,
medieval times, when a pilgrimage chorizo, cheese and tomato), and
began at your front door. Patrice while eating I couldn’t help but feel
and I will walk together today, so that everything about the walk was
it is fitting that this morning in the beginning to fall into place. I found
dark, it feels like we are in the mid- myself visualizing my entrance into
dle of the 13th century. Santiago—but I still had 150 kilo-
Twenty meters from the alber- meters to go, which was a good
gue is the panaderia (bakery), week of walking on winding paths
where we stop for breakfast. We through one-house hamlets, past
do as was suggested by the owner rain drenched fields, and along-
of the hostel the night before, each side swollen rivers. Galicia is wet,
of us buying a hot loaf of bread and gets wetter the closer we got
that came out of the wood-burning to the ocean. Storms dump tons
oven fifteen minutes before we got of the wet stuff almost year-round
to the bakery. We devour them, the there—Galicians have an old say-
smell and taste a wonderful sensa- ing that says “be prepared for rain
tion in the mornings’ darkness. The and pray for sunshine.” So I warned
bread reminds me of my grand- myself against the “horse seeing

Santiago de Compostela
S S Carrión de los Condes
O Cebreiro S SBurgos

AMadrid


13
and while doing so met up with walked deeper into Galicia. Fog
Bola da Familia Brian, from Australia. The three of would come in the morning, and
Polenta cake us had walked together from time it would rain almost daily across
to time, sharing folk songs from the rugged terrain. When I arrived
175g unbleached flour our own countries, which provided in Portomarin, a small town on the
1 tbsp baking powder much laughter along the route. Miño River, it was lunchtime. In the
50g cornmeal Of course, this is a marvel- center of town I met two Germans
175g sugar ous reason for a celebration. We who were doing the Camino on
250ml olive oil decided to get together around horseback. One was a priest and
9:00 p.m., the normal hour for din- the other, a retired judge. Part of
4 eggs
ner in Spain, at a place called La the beauty of the Camino is the
2 oranges, zest
Meson Villa Sante. That night, we ability to have a chat with com-
and would honour the food and wine plete strangers, and listen to their
juice of Galicia. We started with caldo stories. The three of us sat in a
gallego, a traditional meat soup- café on the main street, chatting
Preheat the oven to 325°F. -simple, hearty, and fantastic, it is about their trip, and how difficult
Combine the dry ingredients in the kind of dish that really sticks it was to refuel horses in the 21st
a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add to your ribs. The pulpo a la feira century. They also related how
the oil, eggs, zest and juice, mix- (octopus) that followed was not so Portomarin, as a town, was com-
ing thoroughly with a wooden good—the texture was too slippery pletely dismantled, moved, and
spoon until everything is com- for my liking. Of course, the meal reconstructed on higher ground
bined. The batter should drop would not have been complete in the 1960’s—Franco was going
from the spoon thickly, but not without a dessert of polenta cake, to build a dam on the river but
run. and Quiexo de Tetilla and Arzua, never did. The church, when it was
two local cheeses from Galicia. moved during the reconstruction,
Butter a cake tin and line the
That night we consumed had all its stones numbered, the
bottom with baking paper. Put
enough wine to fully expand the numbering which is still visible on
the batter into the tin, making international reputation of Gali- close inspection. At the end of our
sure it gets into the corners. cian wines—starting with a crisp, lunch we wish each other “Bon
Bake for 1 hour, checking to silky Albariño, then another white Camino,” a Spanish greeting used
ensure it does not brown too blend from the Ribero that was by pilgrims and villagers along the
darkly. The cake should be made from Torrontes and Lado route.
well-risen, and firm to the touch. grapes. A red followed, then an- I arrived in Palas del Rei early the
Remove from the oven and other, and as we left the restau- same day, and although I had vis-
let rest for ten minutes before rant a few hours later, the owner ited what seemed to be hundreds
transferring it to a wire rack to heartily agreed the wines of their of 12th century churches, I decided
cool completely. region made a great impression to visit yet another. I always feel
on us...and we on Galicia. comfortable in the simple, austere
Over the next few days, I space that Romanesque architec-


14

Caldo Gallego
Galician meat stew
The addition of greens to this stew gives it a rustic, earthy flavour. If
Savoy cabbage is unavailable, try beet greens.
450g beef chuck (cubed) 275g dried white beans
2 chorizo sausages 900g potatoes, quartered
2 strips bacon 275g tomatoes, chopped
225g salt-pork belly 1 savoy cabbage, sliced
2 chicken legs

Soak the beans overnight. Drain, and put into a large stewpot with all the
meat, and add enough cold water to cover everything twice. Bring to a boil,
cover, and turn down to a simmer. Let simmer for 2 hours, skimming any impu-
rities regularly. After simmering, ladle half the broth into a another saucepot
into which you have placed the potatoes and tomatoes. Let the meat continue
to simmer (adding boiling water if there isn't enough liquid to cover the meat)
while cooking the potatoes and tomatoes. until the potatoes are nearly done.
Add the sliced cabbage and return the pot to a simmer, cooking for another
8 minutes. Remove the meat pot from the heat, slice the chorizo sausages and
bacon, shred the chicken legs, and discard the salt pork. For a simple service,
combine the two pots, and serve in deep soup plates with plenty of red wine.
For a more refined dinner, serve the meat in a deep dish, the beans in a sec-
ond, and the potatoes and cabbage with the broth in a third.


16
ture gives. It feels close to the
ordinary people, without ostenta-
tion. This day I found the door al-
ready open, and the church filled
with beautiful voices. Four wom-
en were standing in front of the
altar, singing. These women had
made a promise to each other
before starting the Camino: that
at the end of every day during
their trek, they will enter the local
church and sing. “It is our way of
saying a prayer every day,” one
of them told me. I couldn’t think of
a more beautiful gift to give to the
pilgrims they met along the way.
While listening to their music, I
started thinking about the initial
purpose of my trek. I started walk-
ing to help understand my life. I
realized that the Camino was a
synopsis of a lifelong journey; af-
ter all, aren’t we always along a
path of self-discovery, getting to
know ourselves better? The bet-
ter we understand ourselves, the
better we understand our hopes,
strengths, and weaknesses, and
achieve a better tomorrow.
After this realization, I could
not help but smell the barn. I
stopped in Sarria and Melide,
then Arzua, 40 kilometers from
Santiago; that is when I started
to think that I could actually get
there. I stayed overnight in Arzua,
and the owner of the small hotel
where I stayed told me the terrain
will be flatter all the way to Santi-


18 19
ago. I got up the next day at 6:00 your name, country of origin, and late that afternoon. I sat down, sober, unlike some we’d had along
a.m., put my pack on my back and point of departure on the Cami- and soon the table swelled as the way. We were all quite spent;
a hot espresso on my lips, and set
off for the final stretch to the end
no. As you enter the cathedral,
it is the custom to touch the left
more people arrived: Dallas from
San Francisco; a couple from Bor-
When you go... we'd all reached within ourselves
and had all pushed our limits, and
of the Camino. foot of the statue of St-James; so deaux who walked a few days Walking the Camino--some things to know it caught up with us the moment
many people have done it that with me; a woman from Vancou- we reached Santiago. We also re-
i finally rEachEd Santiago in the a groove has been worn in the ver I met earlier on the trek who alized this was most likely the last
late afternoon. The unfortunate stone. I touch his foot as I passed had worked for a time at Capers, Walking the Camino is more than just a long walk across time we would see each other.
thing was, after walking all that to get my validation stamp. a grocery store very close to my Spain; it has been a spiritual quest, as much as a physical test,
way, I couldn’t find the cathedral The first order of business in house. Our celebration was quite for centuries. The modern pilgrim trail traditionally begins in a fEW dayS later found me at
where all the pilgrims congregate, Santiago, after the validation, St. Jean Pied-de-Port, in the foothills of the Pyrenees just inside the Lavacolla airport, waiting for
and celebrate their arrival. The was to find a room, have a show- the French border. From there pilgrims cross the mountains into Heather, my wife. It was back to
map I had was not that detailed— er, and then get back to the pla- Spain. The journey across Spain takes around six to eight weeks the twenty first century, with air-
and I had just spent weeks going za to meet up with other pilgrims to complete, and by the time a pilgrim reaches Santiago, they ports, taxis, no grass or trees in the
through small hamlets where the who had arrived. I walked onto will have travelled over 780 kilometers. city, the roar of flights landing and
main street was the only street. I the terrace of a restaurant to find To qualify for the Compostellana, the certificate which departing, thousands of people in
walked around the city of San- Brian and Patrice already cele- states a pilgrim has indeed traveled the Camino de Santiago shirts, skirts and ties. But had any-
tiago aimlessly, eventually finding brating; both of them had arrived (and thereby recieves a certain amount of time off purgatory), thing changed for me? A resound-
two policemen who I asked for a pilgrim must travel by foot, horseback, or bicycle, and must ing yes: I had made the decision to
prEviOuS pagE: Descending travel at least 100km if walking, or 200km if traveling by horse
directions. When I explained that into Galicia. retire at the first occasion I could.
I couldn’t find the Cathedral, both or bicycle. As a pilgrim, the traveler is entitled, with the help Twenty minutes later, Heather
right: The Mile Zero marker of a 'pilgrim passport', to stay for free (or very cheaply) in the
of them started to laugh; they at Finisterre, the end of the walked off the arrival ramp, a
grabbed my backpack, still on refugios operated by towns, churches and monestaries all along sight to behold. We shared long
Camino. the Camino. Although the refugios are very basic and, at times,
my shoulders, and literally turned BElOW: Finisterre, overlooking hugs and kisses, because we knew
me around 90 degrees. There it are nothing more than a place to put your sleeping bag, quite we had both made it across the
the Atlantic Ocean. often they also include a home cooked meal for a very reason-
was, 500 meters away, the belfry Camino.
jutting over the surrounding build- able fee. Eight months after my trek to
ings. After all those weeks visiting The Camino is traveled by all manner of people--young Santiago, I retired. Happily.
Romanesque churches, you would and old, fit and unfit, religious and not-so-much. Interestingly, the
think I would have been able to pilgrims that seem to have the most trouble finishing the route Thank you, Camino.
find one of the largest medieval are the young ones, presumably because they try to finish the ~guy dalcOurt
cathedrals in the world. Camino too quickly. The key to the Camino is to slow down,
I walked into the plaza, where and take it at a pace that allows you to experience the journey.
dozens of pilgrims were lined up And that very much includes the wine and food of the regions
to get their passports validated traveled through, as well as the scenery and history. Because
in the sacristy of the church. The as with any journey, the true enjoyment, and learning, is in the guy dalcOurt is a Sales Associate
day after validation, a church of- traveling. at the North Vancouver Every-
ficial acknowledges in the cathe- thing Wine store. His favoourite
dral that you have arrived, saying Spanish wine is...well, all of them.


20
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Cabra al Romero 23

Cheese-Rosemary Love
thE gOat chEESES of Spain are often sublime, but the Cabra al
Cheese at a Glance Romero is unusually so. More like a sheeps milk cheese in texture,
with a firm and creamy mouth feel, Romero carries no hint of goati-
prOnunciatiOn ness on its nose or palate. The fact that Romero is made in the
Kab-Ra Al Roh-Mer-oh same region, and by the same producers, as Spain's most famous
Manchego cheese may go a long way in explaining why it closely
arEa Of Origin resembles something made from sheeps milk rather than goat.
La Mancha, Spain A relatively new cheese to hit the markets, Romero is one of a
family of cheeses that come from La Mancha in central Spain that
StylE Of chEESE
are either coated in herbs or spices, or soaked in wine or booze.
Goat Milk
The more famous Cabra al Vino, or "Drunken Goat" as it is known
flavOur prOfilE in Canada, is a close relative to the Romero.
Complex, with subtle The Cabra al Romero is aged for a minimum of three months,
herbal notes and a lem- and in the final days of ageing is rubbed with a lot of rosemary,
ony finish. The rosemary which is left to flavour the rind, and permeate the cheese with a
perfumes the paste with its subtle, etherial flavour. Some are of the opinion to cut the rosemary
scent, but is never enough crust away, but other die-hard cheese fanatics (such as myself) say
to become overwhelm- to leave it on as it adds
ing. Some say to cut the another layer of com-
rosemary away, others say plexity to the taste. This
to eat it; either way, it is a also gives the cheese
good cheese for red wine. the ability to pair with
fuller red wines, such
WinE pairing SuggEStiOnS as a Grenache, or an
aged Rioja.
grEnachE ~Jason Sych
tEMpranillO
pinOt nOir

JaSOn Sych is the Editor of
Everything Wine magazine.
Right: A close-up of the rose- He admits that he finds it
mary encrusting the Cabra al distracting to be in the same
room as cheese if he's not
Romero
able to eat it.


Almost hidden away along the gentle
hills of Saanich, a grape grower is creat-
ing wines of distinction and character-

Glenterra
-and shows how the essence of a wine
lives within the vineyard.
By JaSOn Sych
phOtOS By adEliO trinidad


26 27
"The iSland’S diffErEnt, that’s played with different yeast into barrels last year. You’d keep of 22 different varietals that re- of that original block [of grapes].
the whole thing. A lot of people strains...I use one strain for the Previous Pages: John Kelly in it real fruit forward, crisp, dry. It sembles Edelzwicker, the wine of We thought that if there was
come in here with preconceived barrel fermentation, one for the the tasting bar of Glenterra was three to four degrees below Alsace that blends all the noble something down there we re-
ideas about BC wine being just stainless. I still try different ones Vineyards. normal last summer. There was varietals (see the article on Stras- ally liked, we could take cuttings
the Okanagan—and usually I every year, and that’s the whole no real heat...not like this year.” bourg in the May/Jun 2009 issue and propagate it.” Which is fine,
have to start right there. I tell thing with any of the winemak- Below: The vineyards of Interestingly enough, Kelly de- of Everything Wine magazine) as the current blend of Vivace
them this is the island—it’s temper- ing. It all starts with the vintage.” Glenterra. cided against making a 2008 into a refreshing table-style wine. is clean and fruit-driven, partly
ate, it’s coastal. We’re using Al- vintage of his Pinot Gris because The Pinot Gris was sacrificed, but due to the number of varietals
satian varietals, that’s what works Walking thrOugh thE vineyard his wine dry, which helps to be- of the coolness of the season. It in turn created a better Vivace. included in the blend, as well as
here. The Gris, I’ve been playing with John Kelly, owner and vint- ing out the minerality that defines was too cool, so he decided to And the Vivace itself is an inter- to the organic and dynamic as-
around with it since...well, since ner of Glenterra Vineyards is an the terroir of Kelly’s Pinot Gris. drop half of his Pinot Gris fruit esting wine—22 different varietals pect of Kelly’s vineyard practices.
’99, my first vintage. The first vin- exercise in understanding what it “There’s a balance, and you’ve to help boost the remaining half combined to make a refreshing, It definitely shows its Germanic
tage I tried of Island wine, and takes to create a stunning Pinot got to be careful,” says Kelly. into a better chance of ripeness. easy-drinking wine. “When we roots, displaying stone fruits, ly-
that was probably late ’96, the Gris on Vancouver Island. Here, “Look at last year—you wouldn’t What was harvested went into bought this place, one of the main chee, lemongrass, with overtones
one that turned us on to it, on to there are different challenges have been dumping Pinot Gris the 2008 Vivace, Kelly’s blend reasons we bought was because of minerals and a pleasing acid-
Pinot Gris, was Hans’ out at Blue facing the winemaker than there
Grouse. But both my ’99 and the are in the Okanagan—primarily
2000 were Okanagan fruit, so the climate. While the Okana-
right away you’re in a different gan can rely with a fair certain-
flavour profile...you get riper fruits, ty on stable sunshine and heat,
you get different notes. It’s not the cooler, wetter, shorter and
that you don’t get Gris ripe here, cloudier climate of the Cowichan
but once again it’s a totally differ- Valley make for a marked dif-
ent growing region. We’ll usually ference in the style of the wine.
get higher acids, you know, with Varietals cannot be taken for
the cooler nights...but our Gris granted—what some expect to
never gets super ripe. We don’t grow here won’t, and what oth-
irrigate, and we usually get small- ers dismiss as unsuited sometimes
er berries, smaller cluster weight, flourish. To Kelly, Alsatian vari-
I think we get a little more inten- etals really are the best, as the
sity, and I think that fruit really ex- two climates—that of Alsace and
tracts what the terroir is all about. here on the Island—are similar
That’s where you get those really enough that grapes such as Pi-
lovely flinty, mineral notes, the cit- not Gris, Gewürztraminer, and
rusy backbone. I’ve been play- Pinot Noir can thrive. However,
ing around with it for years, and their style, although heading in
I think I’ve got it to where I like it. the same direction, does vary.
It’s part barrel fermentation, part While the Gris of Alsace is usu-
stainless steel, and then I’m put- ally carries a slightly sweet finish,
ting it through a malolactic...I’ve here on the island Kelly keeps


31

ity. However—as pleasing as the ing attention to what’s being said. chance. It doesn’t become de- end to end. Within the rows, how- rather than vinifying them sepa-
Vivace is, to my mind it can’t hold That’s when the essence of the pendent on synthetic chemicals. ever, are a huge array of different rately. As it happens for most
a candle to Kelly’s Pinot Gris, Pinot Gris grabs hold; sun-baked It’s something I firmly believe in, clones, varietals, and vines with people, the economics drove
the true measure of his terroir. pebbles, stainless minerality like and the reason we can get such names like Zenco, Helfinsliener, Kelly to limit the number of wines
He’s right in saying there is a you were sunbathing on a big, nice, clean flavours out of our and Kosmos Pal Mus. These are the he made, and also helped with
mineral streak right down the black rock in the middle of an wines is because of the organics,” grapes that go into the Vivace and deciding which varietals would
centre of the palate of his Gris. ocean bay. That’s the measure says Kelly. “This vineyard has been Brio, Kelly’s white and red blends make it on their own; Pinot Gris
that are the bread-and-butter of and Pinot Noir are the only two
Glenterra Vineyards. “We bought to currently make it as single-
this place because of that original
block. We thought if there was Previous Pages: Pinot Noir
something we really liked we had ripening in the evening sun.
the plants where we could take
cuttings and propagate it...and the Above: The Glenterra Vine-
fact that if we wanted we could yard
There is, at the beginning, the of Kelly’s Pinot Gris—fruit, stone, clean for eight and-a-half years.” ferment them all separately, and Below, Left to Right: The vine-
sense of Russet apples, faint hon- sun. It’s also the quality of his fruit, Kelly’s vineyard is not big by any play around with them, we could.” yard rows. Thistles cafe at
eycomb, hints of grapefruit—in something Kelly attributes to the stretch of the imagination—from Despite the allure of a wide Glenterra Vineyards. The leaf
fact, none of the flavours whol- organic practices he employs. the slight crest of the hill near to variety of different grapes, Kelly of a Piniot Gris vine. Kelly and
lop you with their presence—it’s “If you’re farming organically, the patio of Thistles Cafe, the rows decided to focus on blending the his wife, Ruth.
more about listening, and pay- you give the plant a way better of vines can be easily seen from grapes together to create a wine,


32
varietal wines. The Pinot Noir is
admittedly Kelly’s favourite wine
to make, with Pinot Gris coming in
quite a way behind the pack, as
far as favourites go. This is curious,
since his Gris stands out from those
of other BC vineyards, both here
in the Cowichan as well as in the
Okanagan and Similkameen val-
leys. It is not a question of quality,
however; just characteristics. John
Kelly prefers what other grapes
do, over the Gris. But his pref-
erence doesn’t affect the quality
of his wine, which is a good thing.
“The Gris is good, don’t get me
wrong. It’s just not my favourite by
any stretch of the imagination.”
~JaSOn Sych

JaSOn Sych is the Editor, and a contributing writer, to Everything Wine Magazine. He came to wine through food, spend-
ing 15 years as a professional chef before embarking on his love affair with wine.

Opera too loud..?
Luckily we carry stemware, too.

We are truly,


34
On the Road...
Scenes from the Vendemmia
by Dave Ramsden

Once again, Dave Rams- some ways, very traditional
den gives us a taste of the in others. They measure sugar
Italian life; visiting relatives in content of the grapes every
Sardinia, Dave has the oppor- day close to picking time, but
tunity to pick grapes for the also have a lunar calendar
wine harvest... to time certain aspects of
the wine making. They reuse
thErE iS a WEll knOWn geo- bottles, but mostly use plastic
graphical split in Italy, and the corks now, even though cork
more industrial North never trees grow in abundance in
tires of making fun of the more the area.
agrarian South. However, any- The physical process is to
one who has ever criticised snip the bunches into buckets,
il terroni (the southerners) for and dump the buckets into
sloth or incompetence has The start of the post-cantina tour feast. large bins on flat-bed trucks.
probably never participated in After a short ride in the truck,
a vendemmia (wine harvest). Last year, it was my pleasure the grapes go into a motorized destemmer/crusher in the
to be in Sardinia in early October when the red grapes cantina, where they drop into a 1000 litre primary fer-
were harvested. mentation tank. A little yeast goes in, and the next step is to
It was a very efficient operation: ten of us started pick- leave the grapes for a few days until it's time for pressing.
ing at 8 a.m., and by 10:30, the grapes were picked, de- A few pounds of the grapes were laid out in the sun
stemmed, crushed, in primary fermentation, and the whole this year to dry into a ripasso-style wine. A few days later,
area cleaned up. The luncheon started at one, so that left in the cantina, the air locks on the fermentation tanks are
a few hours to sample last year's winemaking efforts. bubbling away furiously. It's a very happy sound, almost
Of course, most of the really important work had al- exhilarating; and now, eight months later, I’m sampling the
ready been done over the course of the previous year. early results of "our" work. 2008 will be a very good year
They don't spray, use sulphur, or irrigate, but they do tend for Sardinian wine. 700 litres of red this year for personal
the vines very carefully. It’s not about volume; the focus is consumption, with another 300 of whites done in Septem-
on the quality of the wine. "Without the grape, you have ber—enough for them to make it through another year.
nothing." The vineyard process gives an insight into why ~davE raMSdEn
expensive wines are expensive; it's about the attention, and
the hours of care taken to create a spectacular grape. davE raMSdEn started his career in science, but turned to trading stocks
Sardinia has very hot, dry summers and rocky soil, per- online during the Tech Boom, which he survived. He has discovered
fect for several types of red grapes (here, primarily Bar- that white wines can be really good, particularly if they have aanother
Cru designation. He still trades online, and having survived
Grand
bera and Cannonau). The process is pretty modern in big crash, is now a trusted name in finance (last man standing).

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Stories can be emailed to jsych@everythingwine.ca, with the caption "Wine Story" in the subject line.
See your story here, next issue!

Everything Wine Magazine Issue 4

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Everything Wine Magazine Issue 4