Chat with Tinhorn Creek winemaker/CEO/President Sandra Oldfield

Today's blog is an exciting one, featuring an exclusive interview I conducted with Sandra Oldfield, the CEO/President and winemaker at one of BC's top wineries, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards.

Tinhorn Creek has been a staple of the Oliver wine industry since 1993, and Sandra has been there almost that long, moving to Oliver from California in 1995.  In addition to her jobs at the winery, Sandra organized #BCWineChat on Twitter, which brings together BC wine industry leaders, consumers and enthusiasts every Wednesday at 8PM Pacific Time. Everyone is welcome to join; well, of course they are, it's Twitter. Just search for #BCWineChat and you will see all the posts, and add #BCWineChat to your posts to join in on the discussion.

Now let's get to my talk with Sandra:

Dean: You are the president, CEO, and winemaker, not to mention you are very active in promoting BC wine on social media. That's a lot of hats for one person to wear. Are you ever concerned that you spread yourself too thin?

Sandra: No.  I have great people working around me and that allows you to do many things.  Also, I’ve always been very good at focusing on many varied tasks in a given day.

 

Dean: Tinhorn Creek has been around over 20 years and you are coming up on your 20th Anniversary there as well. What are the biggest changes you have seen in the BC wine market in those years?

Sandra: In grape growing—the right varieties are being planted in the right locations more and more.

In winemaking- we have many more winemakers from all over the world who have a lot more experience than those that were here when I first arrived (including myself!)

Access to technology—suppliers of all materials know we exist now, in the 1990’s they would not venture up to BC

Sales- more people understand that sales are always hard and to stay successful wineries need to stay innovative

People- we still struggle for finding qualified people but there are definitely more people bringing knowledge from elsewhere to our winery operations than there was when we first opened our doors in 1994

 

Dean: While BC wines have been gaining respect around the world, winning medals at many International competitions, it's nearly impossible to find BC wine (Canadian wine at all, for that matter) in the USA. I've had dinner in restaurants in Las Vegas where the wine list was about the size of War and Peace, but not a single bottle of Canadian wine, apart from maybe one Ontario Ice wine. What is it that is keeping our wonderful wines out of the USA?

Sandra: We make a small volume but BC drinks a lot of it.  Unlike most wine producing regions that grow much much more than their home market can consume we are the opposite in Canada.  Only 32% of wine that Canadians drink is Canadian.  Contrast that to 66% in the US and 100% in Chile.  I’d say we really need to work on more Canadians getting to know what we do.  For some of the larger wineries, it would be great if more could be shipped to the US and that will happen in time but for now, Canadian wineries go where the best market and $ are at and that is generally at home.

 

Dean: Last night I participated in my first #BCWineChat on Twitter, and it was very entertaining and informative. Tell me a little bit about the origins of this gathering, and what you are hoping to achieve with it.

I started it in December 2011 because it seemed that there was lots of talk on twitter about our industry but no forum to corral it.  I have driven #BCWineChat since then, making sure that we choose one topic to discuss each week from various areas including trade, vineyards, wineries, production, sales, retail, tourism and restaurants.  I try to mix it up.  I’d love to see more consumers on the chat and each week we tend to get a few more.

 

Dean: One of the things that came out of last night's #BCWineChat was the realization that there have been a LOT of new wineries open up in BC recently. It seems unlikely that the wine drinking market can bear that many new players, especially if we don't dramatically increase our export business. Do you get concerned that the market will reach saturation, if it hasn't already?

Sandra: I don’t  get concerned with respect to the volumes being made because still 90% of these licenses in BC are small businesses.  I do get concerned that each will see increased competition for the same buyers so some may not make it and, yes, some may have to find other markets.  That will happen organically within each winery over time.  It doesn’t worry me though.  It just means that we will mature to the next step.

 

Dean: In your opinion, what is the very best wine you make? Let's break it down to two questions: what is the best of your new releases, and what is the best wine Tinhorn has EVER produced?

Sandra: You know that wine is extremely personal so Best is meaningless to me.  The wine that I have a fondness for due to its history here was our 1998 Cabernet Franc.  It was the first time I think I realized we could indeed make an outstanding, intense and character-rich wine with that grape so it holds a place near to my heart.  The best of our new releases this year (so far, with only whites out so far) is our 2012 Pinot Gris.  Rich, round and fruity.  I think it’s a style that has been evolving for a while and has really hit its mark with this recent vintage.

 

Dean: Being in the wine industry I am sure you are more than familiar with wines from other parts of the world. Do you have a favorite non-BC wine?

Sandra: Anything from Alsace. 

 

Dean: What is going to be the "next big thing" in BC wine? Is there a new grape that is going to take hold here? I know there are a few BC wineries that produce some wines from grapes that are less-traditional in this market (Tempranillo, Pinot Auxerrois, Sangiovese, Kerner, to name a few). Do you see one of those joining the "big boys" in BC wine production? Or something else?

Sandra: The next big thing will be sub appellations and the expansion of single vineyard wines.  Exciting times!

(UPDATE): I had Sandra clarify what she was referring to in regards to sub appellations:

Right now there are only 5 sub appellations or sub regions defined by law in BC (ie: Okanagan Valley, Similkameen Valley etc)  There is  a huge difference between different growing regions within those appellations (regions) so defining those and enshrining them in law will be a big step forward in us being able to tell a story to the consumers and have that story reflected on our bottles with the name of where the grapes were grown

 

Dean: Lastly, what is the favorite part of your job? Is there one thing that stands out above all else?

Sandra: The people.  Always the people.  At Tinhorn Creek our employees are our greatest resource and elsewhere, away from Tinhorn Creek, I think the people in our industry make the work we do completely worthwhile.

 

A huge "thank you" to Sandra for taking time out from her obviously busy schedule to talk with me. I hope you have all enjoyed this conversation with one of our top winemakers.

Check out their website where you can order their wines, get updates on special events happening at the winery, and just generally learn more about the winery:

http://www.tinhorn.com/

Best Meatloaf ever, with a red wine glaze

Seriously, this cooking with wine book is awesome.

On page 117 of this book, you'll find this recipe:

Pentage's Gourmet Meatloaf with a Caramelized Red Wine Glaze.

Uh, yum. Yum yum yum.

Best meatloaf I've ever had, and it's not even close.

I didn't happen to have a bottle of the suggested wine ("Pentage" from the winery of the same name), so I went to the cellar for a meat-friendly red and came up with this little beauty:

2012 Wolf Blass Red Label Shiraz Cabernet

Man the Aussies do know their Shiraz.

The website says that 2012 will go down as "one of the great vintages" and if this one is any indication, they are right. You'll get smacked right in the nose by berries, with just the tiniest hint of oak.

On the palate the fruit shines through, with a touch of spice you would expect from a great Shiraz. The smoothness of the Cabernet Sauvignon comes out in the finish, creating a truly transcendent wine.

This is a great bottle of wine, and considering that this is their "cheapie"...the Red Label is their entry level.....I'm going to have to seek out the "good" stuff.

As it's young, I decanted it for a little over an hour.

Retails for around $17.

Rating: 7.5/10

All Roads lead to 13.....wait that doesn't make sense.....

Yesterday's tasting at SardisPark VQA was an Okanagan Valley winery that has just recently returned to VQA wine stores: Road 13. Not a winery I was very familiar with so I was excited to try out their wares.



2011 Home Vineyards Riesling

Like all BC Rieslings, too dry for my tastes; but pleasant notes of honey balance the acidity of the lemon. Rich and smooth. At $18.88, an excellent bargain; and if you like dryer BC Rieslings, this is a fabulous choice.

Rating: 6/10












2012 Mitchell's Vineyards Pinot Gris

Rich and earthy on the nose with hints of honeysuckle. Notes of pear and honey on the palate. Nice long finish with some minerality. Grapes for this wine grown in Summerland. Retails for $21.

Rating: 5.5/10












2011 Seventy-Four K

Interesting blend of Merlot, Syrah with Viognier, the Cabernets and Mourvedre (although over 90% of the first two), it features strong notes of berries and chocolate on the nose, which gives way to a rich berry flavour. An extra year or two in the bottle would undoubtedly enhance what is already a very drinkable wine. My wife loved this even more than I did, I think, and we left the store with a bottle. At $25, it could be our "everyday" red.

Rating: 7/10









2011 Syrah Malbec

It has those strong pepper notes that are so inviting on the nose, and is so well
balanced it even impressed two people who aren't particularly fond of Malbec (or Syrah, generally, for that matter). Rich and smooth with beautiful hints of blueberries, vanilla, chocolate and pepper. Good now, and would likely benefit from laying down for a few years. $32.


Rating: 6.5/10












2011 Syrah Mourvedre

The Mourvedre, not grown much in BC, adds a rich, dark, almost black colour. Very fruit forward, featuring notes of cherry and blackberry. Very long, very smooth finish. Strong, in your face tannins suggest this would be improved with some cellar time as well. If you can't wait, decant for an hour or so, and it will be very good now. $35.

Rating: 7/10

Chardonnay the way it was meant to be, and Chardonnay butter!

I realize it's probably bad form to do two blog posts about the same winery inside of a week, but tonight I went back to my favorite cooking with wine book:

...and selected two recipes for tonight's dinner.

For the main course:

Walnut and Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts with Chardonnay Butter (page 98 if you have the book)

and for a side dish:

Fried Asparagus in a Honey and Walnut Sauce (page 129)

Holy crap.

Both recipes were absolutely delicious; and as good as the chicken was on it's own, covered in the Chardonnay butter, it was even enhanced further by dipping it into the honey/walnut sauce that was draped all over the asparagus.

Seriously good dinner.

And since the recipe specifically called for "Chardonnay butter", I went to my cellar to pull out the only Chardonnay I had on hand:

Quails' Gate 2011 Chardonnay

This is an age-worthy wine; in fact, I had it marked as a "2015" open, but since I needed a Chardonnay, it got popped tonight. I guess I'll just have to go buy another one to replace it for aging.

It brings a slight floral and hazelnut impression on the nose, followed closely by that beautiful butter/butterscotch that comes from the elegance of French oak. "Silky" is a good way to describe this wine. If you like bold and buttery Chardonnay as I do, at a reasonable price point ($25), this is the Chardonnay for you.

Rating: 7/10

There is only one negative thing I can say about the above wine; and that is that it's not nearly as good as it's big brother, which I review below:




Quails' Gate 2010 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay ($45)


This is the King, IMO. Before I had tasted this wine, I was pretty anti-Chardonnay. This one turned it all around.

You like big whites? This is it. Bold? Yup. Buttery? It's like drinking a glass of butterscotch candy, with a chaser of melted butter. When you open up a bottle of this one, you are playing with the Big Boys. This is, simply put, the best Chardonnay I have ever tasted, and quite likely the best white wine, period. I have had many of the vintages, as far back as the '06, and each has been superb. By all means, if you can find this wine, get it and put it away for 4-5 years, as this one ages better than Valerie Bertinelli.

I mean, seriously, that woman is 53 years old. Her parents must have won a bet with God.

Rating: 9/10

Spierheading a new direction in wine?

Apologies to the winery if the name isn't pronounced like "spearhead"....if it isn't, the title of this blog entry really doesn't make much sense.

Anyway, today's tasting at Sardis Park VQA brings us a new player in the BC market; Spierhead Winery, located in South Kelowna. They were named "Best New Winery" at 2012 BC Wine Awards, so that's certainly a promising start.

I know they suffered some hail damage during that freak hail storm that caught Kelowna last week, the extent of which isn't known yet; hopefully it's not significant. Due to that fact, coupled with them being a new guy on the scene, I was really hoping I'd like their wines. It's tough for new wineries; we've all been the new kid in school who thinks they are doing great on their first day, only to find out at lunch that we've been walking around with toilet paper attached to our shoe all day, and the kids have been laughing AT us, not with us.

So here we go:



2012 Riesling

As I've mentioned before, I have yet to find a BC Riesling that really gets me excited; they just can't compare to the big German Rieslings that I prefer. Having said that, this one isn't bad at all. It's dry - dryer than I like - but the crispness and notes of green apple are appealing. This would probably improve with another year or so in the bottle to smooth it out a little, but if you are a fan of BC Rieslings, you will likely enjoy this. At $21.87, it's a good value.

Rating: 5.5/10

2011 Chardonnay

Aged ten months, 20% in French oak, the balance in stainless steel, this wine has buttery notes but they are very subtle. Finishes with hints of lime and cloves. I tend to like bigger, bolder Chardonnays but there is some artistry here, and at the entry level price point of $21.87, it's an excellent value if you enjoy your Chardonnay on the lightly oaked side.

Rating: 6/10






2011 Pursuit

48% Merlot
42% Cabernet Sauvignon
10% Cabernet Franc

Aged 18 months in French oak, this Bordeaux-style blend features soft tannins and is very fruit forward. It's drinkable now but would enhance with a couple years in the bottle to balance out the tannins. At $23.90, it's another excellent value.

Rating: 6.5/10





2010 Vanguard

The winery's signature Bordeaux style blend, although it's not that different from the Pursuit:

48% Merlot
48% Cabernet Sauvignon
 4%  Cabernet Franc

(the percentages changed quite a bit for their 2011 version)

Blackberries and light oak greet the nose. Medium to ripe tannins, and strong acidity suggest to me that this one needs to lay down for a while longer. If you are drinking it now, I'd highly recommend decanting it for at least an hour to bring out it's full potential. If you are looking for a reasonably priced ($29.88) Bordeaux blend to put away for a couple years, this might be the one for you.

                                                          Rating: 6.5/10 (likely to go up with aging)

If I were looking for one of these reds to drink today, I'd buy the Pursuit; but I'm intrigued by the potential for vast improvement on the Vanguard. I think that might be a sleeper.

All in all, a very solid portfolio for a new winery. These guys could very well be one to watch going forward.

Why is the Monk Gray? Is he sad? Did he run out of wine?

Today's blog post highlights some terrific white wines from another one of our favorite Okanagan wineries, Gray Monk.

I've already mentioned a couple of them in one of my first blog posts, you can see my reviews and ratings on those here:

http://deanswineblog.blogspot.ca/2013/06/check-your-couch-for-loose-change.html

Last night we cracked open a bottle of this:

2012 Gray Monk Kerner

As I've mentioned before, I'm a sucker for a sweet white wine, and this one is sweet; slightly less-so than the 2011 version, but still fabulous.

Your nose is greeted by beautiful, fruity notes of peaches and pears. The natural sweetness only enhances a delicate, slightly buttery finish. This is an absolute perfect patio sipping wine, but it pairs with just about anything that white wine traditionally works with. Last night we had it with a Roasted Herb Marinated Chicken and the sweetness of the wine (which also went into the recipe, over the chicken) was a terrific compliment to the herbs on the bird. At $17.99, it's also an excellent value. Serve well chilled.

Rating: 7/10






And last week, we had a bottle of this:


2011 Gray Monk Pinot Auxerrois

Proof that this winery can do justice to white that aren't sweet as well. Pinot Auxerrois is not a grape you see in a single varietal all that often, especially from BC. A pale yellow in colour, hints of citrus greet your nose, giving way to rich fruit flavors and a nicely balanced acidity. Slightly off-dry but far from the sweetness of the other whites I've mentioned above and in the older post. Serve this one chilled as well. An excellent wine to pair with seafood or poultry, but it also works great on it's own. $16.99.

Rating: 6.5/10

 

Beef Wellington, and a very nice BC Merlot

Finally, finally, FINALLY found a Beef Wellington recipe I liked. Ok actually I took two recipes and combined them into one, but it certainly worked; last night, I finally conquered Beef Wellington. Well, sort of.

(**if anyone wants the recipe, I have put it into a Word document, just ask and I will send to you)

If there are any chefs out there who make Welly regularly, tell me how you get the puff pastry fully cooked and still have the Wellington cooked medium rare? I made individual ones yesterday and my wife's was perfect (medium to medium well) and my steak was cooked nicely (medium rare to medium) but the pastry was every so slightly underdone. Not inedibly so; in fact, it was damn good, but another 2-3 minutes cooking would have been perfect for the pastry, but would have overdone the meat.

Oh, and ironically, my wife was sick with a terrible cold, so she could barely taste the fabulous meal I placed in front of her. She felt fine the 2-3 other times I crafted her a Beef Wellington that most dogs wouldn't eat, of course.

Anyway.....back to the wine portion of this blog entry. I was planning on breaking out a big red to celebrate my beating the Welly Monster once and for all, but since Tracey wasn't feeling well and wouldn't enjoy the wine as much as she might, I decided to hit my local VQA wine store and pick up a good, but cheaper, Merlot. This was my pick:

Cedarcreek 2010 Merlot

It's fruity on the nose, filled with raspberry jam-like flavors on the palate, and it's delicious. At $19.95, it's an absolute steal and by far my favorite of the entry-level Merlots that I have tasted. It's a treat to enjoy now, but would undoubtedly age well for another year or two. If you don't have that kind of patience, decant it for an hour or so to fully open it up. It would pair very well with most steak dishes, and certainly went very well with the Beef Wellington (and a cup of it was in the sauce, which was also scrumptious).


Rating: 7/10