Podcast #50 – Conscious Wine with Jeff Weissler

Sustainability Series #1

The first in a series of podcasts dedicated to the concept of sustainability. With interviews from around the Okanagan on this topic, I want to look at how BC’s wine industry relates to the concept of sustainability at 4 different levels as it applies to wine. First, how the grapes are grown in the vineyards. Second, cellar practices in the winery. Third, through sales and marketing of the brand. Fourth, how the model of the wine industry as a whole relates to sustainability.

The first podcast in this series begins with an overview of concepts of sustainability put forth by Jeffrey Weissler, founder of Conscious Wine.com, a website dedicated to promoting wineries that produce wine with a keen awareness of their impact on the environment. Wineries that adhere to the 4 main principles and many of the 12 practices of Conscious Wine are listed, by state, on the “ConsciousWine List“. All of the wineries that make the list are deemed to be sustainable regarding their production techniques and conscious of their impact on their community and environment on multiple levels.

Jeffrey Weissler, creator of ConsciousWine.com

Some of you may have had bad experiences with wines labeled “organic” in the past. They might have tasted a little odd, dirty or just plain bad. I know a winery in the Okanagan that farms essentially organically, but refuses to certify or advertise the fact on their labels because of the perceived negative connotation around organic wine. Times have changed and the wineries on this list have to have wine that tastes great, which is one of conscious Wine’s main principles. Bad wines won’t make the list.  There are some famous on this list including Bonterra and Grgich Cellars, which was started by Mike Grgich who made the Ch. Montelena ’73 Chard that won the “Judgment of Paris” (nevermind what you saw in Bottle Shock…)

Currently, the list includes wineries in California and Oregon with our neighbours in Washington State likely to be added to the list soon. In province like BC, where concepts like Smith and MacKinnon’s “100-Mile Diet” were born, the ideas of Conscious Wine will seem right at home here. Local eating means knowing where your food comes from and many wine drinkers in all over BC and Alberta are looking to BC’s wine country for a locally produced food and wine.

At the very least, we are all becoming much more conscious of where our food comes from and ConsciousWine.com is a great step in raising awareness further.

Let me know what you think about sustainability in BC’s wine industry. Have you bought organic wine recently? Is it important to you that wineries be sustainable? Does it matter to you if vineyards spray synthetic chemicals on their vines? Do you notice organic wines more often? (The recent official Ironman wine produced by Dunham and Froese was entirely organic.) Leave a comment here or on the wall on our Facebook page.

Podcast #49 – Fortified Wines

Sometimes you need to bring out the big guns. After a long meal or a late night, unwinding with a glass of Port-style or Madeira-style wine is the right call. Fortunately for BC wine lovers, there are locally produced options to make a perfect wine and mood pairing.

While they might be a little harder to find, they are typically well worth the search. Some of them are only available at the winery as a specialty item (La Frenz, Sumac Ridge), some at VQA stores (Quail’s Gate, Gray Monk, Vista D’Oro) or private stores (Kettle Valley).

And don’t worry about drinking the whole bottle in one night! This is strong stuff and can keep for weeks just fine with only a stopper – no special corks or nitrogen required (although that never hurts). So take a sip while you slow down and enjoy the special small batches of BC’s fabulous fortified wines.

We have a winner!

Congratulations to Barbro Höglund from Sweden who won the 3rd copy of the new Wineries of the Okanagan map from Environ Geomatics. The correct answer was Kettle Valley (on Hayman Road in Naramata) and Rollingdale (on Hayman Road in West Kelowna).

There will be more quiz questions coming up in future podcasts so stay tuned for your chance to win special items direct from Wine Country.

Podcast #48 – Closeup on Pinot Noir

We’ve all seen Sideways. Maybe you’ve read “The Heartbreak Grape” by Marq De Villiers. Maybe it’s the only red wine that you drink and you get all tingley when you remember drinking a special bottle of a Grand Cru. Winemakers love the challenge of trying to make a truly great and memorable bottle. There’s no denying that something is special about Pinot Noir.

So we’ll take a look at this fussy grape this week and try out a version from Eau Vivre who are located in the Similkameen Valley. Since we recorded this podcast, I have learned that the 2007 that we tasted in this episode is now sold out at the winery and the 2008 is now available. I’m also happy to report that the 2008 is just as good and though it is a little hidden at the moment, it should open up nicely.

So sit back, grab a glass of your favorite pinot noir and enjoy!

Also in this podcast:

I have not yet received a correct answer from last week’s quiz question. It was a tricky one, but it you think you know what the answer is (I need the name of both wineries), please send me an email at winecountrybc@yahoo.com. First email through with the correct answer will get a copy of the Wineries of the Okanagan map by Environ Geomatics.

Podcast #47 – Festival of the Grape 2010

Winemakers love the Festival of the Grape. Want proof? Just listen to this collection of winemakers and winery personnel talk about their experiences at Oliver’s biggest outdoor festival event in this short, but swift, collection of on-location interviews in the wine tasting tents at the Festival of the Grape 2010. As you’ll hear, it was a very busy day for them in the tasting tents. Along with all that background noise, you’ll hear people like Stephanie Schales from 8th Generation Vineyards, George Hanson, from 7 Stones Winery, Stephanie Leinemann from Peller Estates, Mick Luckhurst from Road 13 Vineyards, Judy Skinner from Dirty Laundry Vineyards, Glenn Fawcett from Black Hills Estate and many more talking about their experiences at Festival of the Grape.

(Note on sound quality – Because this was recorded at a noisy tasting event, the sound quality may not be as pristine as you have come to expect from our regular podcasts at Wine Country BC.)

Waiting for the next show...

The grape stomping competition.

AbbaCadabra provided great entertainment.

Podcast #46 – Wine Books

“I read about the evils of drinking, so I gave up reading.” – Henny Youngman

And so we approach the very bulky topic of wine literature. There are a lot of books out there about wine. Some of them are even good. Some read like dictionaries while others have naratives that read like a mystery novel. Either way, there’s something for everyone out there when the mind’s thirst is not satiated solely by inbibing.

There’s a lot of books listed in this podcast, including two books that Amber and I quote at length. Here are links to some of the authors that we made a fuss about in this podcast:

Jeannette Montgomery – Okanagan Writing Services

Rhys Pender, MV – WinePlus

John Schreiner (some of his many books)

Julianna Hayes

Anthony Gismondi (on Twitter)

Tony Aspler

Amber’s reading comes from the book ”Grapes and Wines” by Oz Clarke  

Luke’s reading comes from the book “Between the Wines” by Terry Thiese

Also in this podcast…

We’re giving away the 3rd and final copy of the “Wineries of the Okanagan” map by Environ Geomatics. Listen carefully for the next question that will test your knowledge of wine country and send us an email if you think you know the answer.

Congratulations to Kathy Hamilton from Edmonton, Alberta for correctly answering last week’s question. The correct answer was Young and Wyse Estate Winery, the most southern winery in the Okanagan Valley, which is located mere steps from the Canada/USA border crossing.