As I sit here putting words to paper (or, properly speaking, tapping tiny strings of code that resemble the alphabet onto a blank digital page) I am surrounded by wasps and cacti.
These prickly gifts of nature are a reminder of the ruggedness of this province. I’m in Osoyoos, which may be wine country now, but is still a dry, baking hot and dusty desert first, an environment to be reckoned with. It is all the more impressive, then, that such delicate and nuanced wines issue from this place. I took a trip this afternoon up to the Nk’Mip Cellars Winery and purchased a bottle of 2014 Qwam Qwmt Pinot Noir. In the language of the Osoyoos Indian Band, the wine’s designation means “achieving excellence.”
This is a reserve bottle of what is already a pinot noir of notable quality. Nk’Mip is North America’s first aboriginal-owned winery, with vineyards occupying some of the hottest, driest lands in the country (Nk’Mip translates to “bottomland,” referring to the Okanagan Valley’s southernmost extreme). For its price point, I have found Nk’Mip wine to be consistently well produced, adeptly representing local fruit that is capable of complex expression, especially from older vines; some of Nk’Mip Cellar’s fruit hails from 40-year-old plants.
Surrounded by vineyards (many of which have production that is small enough to preclude finding markets outside the valley), I am reminded that in just a couple of months, Cornucopia, Whistler’s 10-day tribute to all things wine, will begin. While the Nov. 10 date feels like a ways off still, tickets are on sale now and the festival’s signature tastings and specialized events will sell out well in advance.
Cornucopia considers wine on a global scale, with seminars, workshops and celebrations surrounding some of the world’s most prolific wine-producing regions.
Nevertheless, the festival has always been a great showcase for B.C.-grown talent. That said, I feel like we are spoiled here on the North Shore with purveyors of wine that work tirelessly year-round to give forum to the best in domestic and international products. With the exploding craft beer scene making headlines everywhere I look (which, for the record, I think is a fantastic thing and something I support wholeheartedly, the craft brewing industry being one of the best things to ever happen to the support-local movement) I sometimes forget that I am a wine guy first and, deep down, will always carry a special torch for the timeless, elegant, romantic, ethereal and inspiring ethos of that spirit.
Although I was sad to see the Park and Tilford location of Liberty Wine Merchants close, I am pleased that the company (which still includes several locations across the bridges) has found a North Shore home in the high-traffic, good visibility Park Royal South expansion. When I was studying for my sommelier exam, the original Liberty Park Royal was like a second home.
Liberty has all manner of rare and obscure finds, but also does a great job of stocking good, interesting B.C. wines and usually has a healthy allocation of those quick-to-sell-out products that us “civilians” find frustrating to procure. More importantly, I have yet to find another staff so thoroughly knowledgeable about their products, so well versed in the minutiae of the wines on their shelves, without being pedantic or elitist. Despite feeling like a savvy wine shopper myself, I do not hesitate to defer to Liberty employees when I’m looking for something memorable. libertywinemerchants.com 604-925-3663
Operating with a much larger footprint in a sprawling, nicely appointed but still warehouse-like space that I liken to an adult version of Toys R Us, Everything Wine is a consistent go-to for dinner parties and weekend treats. Everything Wine has a significant section devoted to each of the major wine-producing nations and a handful of products available from lesser-known regions (some eastern European countries, for instance) and is home to a large B.C. inventory.
It is here that you can consistently get your hands on great pinot noirs from two other exceptional B.C. producers: Meyer Family Vineyards (Okanagan Falls) and Nichol (Naramata).
Both producers exercise notable discipline in their crafting of wines from this notoriously temperamental grape, creating products of considerable finesse and elegance, stylistically more in line with Burgundy than with other new world expressions. everythingwine.ca. 604-929-7277
Always great for a visit and also featuring exceptionally knowledgeable staff is Dundarave Wine Cellar in West Vancouver. Despite its considerable size, the shop maintains a lovely boutique specialist feel and I find myself whiling away longer spells of time than I intended whenever I visit.
Dundarave Wine Cellar, sister to Kitsilano Wine Cellar (ergo the joint website winecellarsbc.com), stocks some of the province’s most sought-after and reliably delicious pinot noirs as well, with exclusive, limited-availability products from Orofino (Cawston), Averill Creek (Duncan), Foxtrot (Naramata), and Unsworth (Mill Bay).
An honourable mention (not for B.C. wines, but for a small and very well-considered international selection) goes to the 16th Street Liquor Store, also in West Vancouver. Though the store is home to a staggering collection of craft beers, their wine inventory is actually very interesting; this is one of the only places in Greater Vancouver where I’ve ever found Sfursat (the powerful, concentrated, Amarone-like wine from Valtellina, Italy) available. 16thstreet.ca. 604-926-1339
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. North Shore News dining reviews are conducted anonymously and all meals are paid for by the newspaper.
