Piercing the Vine

For the past few weeks, my sister stayed with us while doing a surgical residency rotation in Toronto and we had an absolute blast! And a lot of wine. The La Serena 2013 was young (tannic) but full of leather and liquorice. I picked up a touch of Brett but not at all offensive - quite the opposite. This was our parting wine, as she left this morning. I have no shame in drinking wine alone, but it truly is better when shared with people you love. Or with strangers. Or with any...body! Come visit us again soon! #brunellodimontalcino #sangiovese #cantinalaserena #redwine #familytime

Rain can’t keep us down! Fabulous braai with a worthy lineup. The Meerlust Rubicon is a Saffer legend as an original Bordeaux blend. The 1980 was the first vintage, and this bottle was handed to our host as a gift in the estate’s cellar. It had aged beautifully and would stand shoulder to shoulder in a lineup of top Margaux. The 1983 Vriesenhof Pinotage was a pleasant surprise! Slightly depressed cork, but it was alive and well, with plenty of dried red berries and an iron ed...ge, and put on some fat in the glass. And the creme de la creme for dessert. Vin de Constance sweet wine. Intoxication personified. Deep amber, full of apricot and almonds. Just exquisite. #southafricanwine #winesofsouthafrica #wosa #pinotage #meerlust #meerlustrubicon #vindeconstance #constantia #stellenbosch #kleinconstantia #wine #braai #winetasting #winetour #winecellar

To paraphrase The Princess Bride: Since the invention of wine, there have been some that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. Rarely am I so captivated by a wine that I can’t bring myself to finish the glass. Sadie Family’s 2005 Columella (80% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre) did the trick. It is everything I love about wine: perfect balance, pure fruit with no overbearing oak, a finish that goes on for minutes, and a wonderful story of a driven winemaker paying tribute to his vineyards and his region. South Africa, and the Swartland, strikes again. Eben Sadie, you are a legend.

Ever since @futronic poured an older Pajoré for me last year, I’ve been on a Sottimano-seeking mission. Forget everything anybody told you about Barbaresco being the gentle sibling next to muscular big brother Barolo. Sottimano wines are like the football star who can sing - equal parts vigor and sensuality. Even at 12, the ‘08 Pajoré (one of 4 crus) needs another few years to relax its tannic muscle, but the cherry-led fruit shows no signs of tiring out beforehand. I love discovering producers like the Sottimano family, who are doing everything right to hit top shelf quality while preserving the ethos of their vineyards and their place. Very high recommend. Grazie a voi!

A couple weeks ago, we trekked out to Kelowna for a family visit. My sisters, mom and I got away for a girls day and visited a tiny winery called Little Engine. The owner, Steven, guided us through the tasting and we also met winemaker Scott Robinson, (who, given his build, you will easily mistake for a Vancouver Canuck). Their focus is on small lot, terroir-driven wines, especially Pinot and Chard. Scott is one of those winemakers who makes wine in the vineyard, and the qual...ity shows. I particularly liked their Gold Chardonnay and Merlot, and also loved this Platinum Family Clone Select Pinot, which I killed way too young, but had to test. Unfined, unfiltered, and fermented on indigenous yeasts, it has great energy and tension, along a darker Pinot profile (think: Oregon meets NZ, not high-toned Burgundy). Pure fruit, using only 3rd fill barrels. If you’re in a shop local mindset, as many of us are these days, don’t forget about wine. I am increasingly impressed by the Canadian bottles I uncork, and love discovering estates like this that are showing they can compete in the majors.

For the past few weeks, my sister stayed with us while doing a surgical residency rotation in Toronto and we had an absolute blast! And a lot of wine. The La Serena 2013 was young (tannic) but full of leather and liquorice. I picked up a touch of Brett but not at all offensive - quite the opposite. This was our parting wine, as she left this morning. I have no shame in drinking wine alone, but it truly is better when shared with people you love. Or with strangers. Or with any...body! Come visit us again soon! #brunellodimontalcino #sangiovese #cantinalaserena #redwine #familytime

Rain can’t keep us down! Fabulous braai with a worthy lineup. The Meerlust Rubicon is a Saffer legend as an original Bordeaux blend. The 1980 was the first vintage, and this bottle was handed to our host as a gift in the estate’s cellar. It had aged beautifully and would stand shoulder to shoulder in a lineup of top Margaux. The 1983 Vriesenhof Pinotage was a pleasant surprise! Slightly depressed cork, but it was alive and well, with plenty of dried red berries and an iron ed...ge, and put on some fat in the glass. And the creme de la creme for dessert. Vin de Constance sweet wine. Intoxication personified. Deep amber, full of apricot and almonds. Just exquisite. #southafricanwine #winesofsouthafrica #wosa #pinotage #meerlust #meerlustrubicon #vindeconstance #constantia #stellenbosch #kleinconstantia #wine #braai #winetasting #winetour #winecellar

To paraphrase The Princess Bride: Since the invention of wine, there have been some that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. Rarely am I so captivated by a wine that I can’t bring myself to finish the glass. Sadie Family’s 2005 Columella (80% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre) did the trick. It is everything I love about wine: perfect balance, pure fruit with no overbearing oak, a finish that goes on for minutes, and a wonderful story of a driven winemaker paying tribute to his vineyards and his region. South Africa, and the Swartland, strikes again. Eben Sadie, you are a legend.

Ever since @futronic poured an older Pajoré for me last year, I’ve been on a Sottimano-seeking mission. Forget everything anybody told you about Barbaresco being the gentle sibling next to muscular big brother Barolo. Sottimano wines are like the football star who can sing - equal parts vigor and sensuality. Even at 12, the ‘08 Pajoré (one of 4 crus) needs another few years to relax its tannic muscle, but the cherry-led fruit shows no signs of tiring out beforehand. I love discovering producers like the Sottimano family, who are doing everything right to hit top shelf quality while preserving the ethos of their vineyards and their place. Very high recommend. Grazie a voi!

A couple weeks ago, we trekked out to Kelowna for a family visit. My sisters, mom and I got away for a girls day and visited a tiny winery called Little Engine. The owner, Steven, guided us through the tasting and we also met winemaker Scott Robinson, (who, given his build, you will easily mistake for a Vancouver Canuck). Their focus is on small lot, terroir-driven wines, especially Pinot and Chard. Scott is one of those winemakers who makes wine in the vineyard, and the qual...ity shows. I particularly liked their Gold Chardonnay and Merlot, and also loved this Platinum Family Clone Select Pinot, which I killed way too young, but had to test. Unfined, unfiltered, and fermented on indigenous yeasts, it has great energy and tension, along a darker Pinot profile (think: Oregon meets NZ, not high-toned Burgundy). Pure fruit, using only 3rd fill barrels. If you’re in a shop local mindset, as many of us are these days, don’t forget about wine. I am increasingly impressed by the Canadian bottles I uncork, and love discovering estates like this that are showing they can compete in the majors.