It's closer than you think.
The Vancouver International Wine Festival, Canada's longest-running and most successful trade and consumer wine extravaganza (Feb. 20-March 1), is less than a month away.
That means if you haven't yet purchased your ticket to the International Festival Tastings you'd better get on it soon. Tickets for all events are moving faster than ever this year, and if you have your hopes set on anything in particular, best hurry.
At the core of the week-long event is the theme region, Australia.
A marked shift has taken place since 2007, the last time Australia was in the spotlight. For some years now, the Land Down Under has been working hard to re-shape its image as a large, albeit highly proficient, producer of quaffable drops from across its significant regions.
Today's Australia is much more focused on wines of origin from within those regions and the contrasts they celebrate.
Not only that but there's growing popularity of varieties other than Shiraz and Chardonnay, the building blocks on which Australia built its success. Many will be in evidence at the festival, a whole new breed of Australian wines awaiting discovery.
At a recent preview, I was struck by a few of these wines in particular. Not only because they're so worth tasting but also because they embody
Australia's remarkable diversity and underscore what's going on. Not to push Shiraz and Chardonnay under the carpet, as big things are happening here also, especially with the rise of cool-climate styles and far less oak-dominated Chardonnays than in the past.
Australia as a country remains a relative unknown to many Canadians. However, the parallels are numerous. Our major cities enjoy similar emerging patterns of a truly multicultural society, and Australia's food scene (which was rarely considered to be of significance, much like Canada's) is absolutely booming. You'll find plenty of evidence of that among several special events themed "Savour Australia."
At the festival, you'll also get a chance to hook up with a good number of Australian producers (some 55 wineries are making the trip, right in the middle of harvest).
Here's just a hint of what you'll find: Hesketh 2014 Touriga (Barossa) What's Portugal's most popular variety doing in Australia? Plenty, as it happens. According to Aussie guru James Halliday, it's being grown by 36 producers in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
Traditionally a Port wine in both Portugal and Oz, Touriga Nacional is now making a name for itself as a formidable table wine.
Hesketh's amazingly approachable '14 is wickedly drinkable but also a powerhouse, with vibrant up-front red fruit followed by damson and mulberry on a generous palate, underpinned by herbal hints with a lengthy end. Let's hope it makes it to local shelves on a regular basis ($25, 91 points). Hollick Bond Road Chardonnay 2012 (Coonawarra)
The fruit shines nicely through the French oak with bright orchard and stone fruit notes wrapped in a well-balanced, gently creamy and generous palate with definite structure and acidity that carries through to the lengthy close ($27-$29, 92 points).
Longview Riserva Saturnus Nebbiolo 2012 (Adelaide Hills) Nebbiolo needs lots of time and attention and 2012 provided an ideal lengthy growing season. If you're lucky enough to find a bottle, you'll want to let it breathe, although maybe it should be tucked away for a few years. Up-front dark cherry, smoky and violet notes followed by assertive but well-integrated tannins, keen acidity, with great balance and complex savoury notes, through a lingering finish ($50, 91 points).
Peter Lehmann 1885 Shiraz VSV 2013 (Barossa) This is from seriously old vines and it shows. It is a premium Shiraz that defines its class and may redefine your impression of Aussie Shiraz. Black cherry, spice and vanilla on the nose, followed by a plush palate with easy tannins and elegant viscosity that yields restrained opulence, black pepper and spicy hints before a lengthy close ($60, 93 points). Oh, and yes, of course, there will be Riesling! Next time. Full event details and tix at vanwinefest.ca.
Tim Pawsey writes about wine for numerous publications and online as the Hired Belly at hiredbelly.com. Contact: [email protected].
