The Magic of Ripe Fruit

Teahouse Tasting in the Park- Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011, Hosted by Painted Rock Winery

One thing can be said of both men and of grapes… A little charm goes a long way.

Add a blast of passion, a bold sensuality, a little patience and profound respect, and not only might you have found the perfect man… but perhaps, as well, the perfect vineyard.

Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of attending another of the Teahouse’s ‘Tastings in the Park’, (which is fast becoming one of my favourite mid-week escapes) - this time hosted by one of the Okanagan’s most up-and-coming vineyards du jour… Painted Rock Winery.

Not only did we have the pleasure of tasting four beautiful wines, but it was a real treat to be guided through our sipping journey by the winemaker and owner himself, Mr. John Skinner.

John was as charming and engaging as his award-winning wines as he took us through the tasting notes, the history of the land, and the process of his “journey of discovering Okanagan wine.”  Painted Rock maintains a passion for quality wine that should be shared with friends and family, mixed with an unpretentious and well-planned strategy. They work with a consultant who visits from Bordeaux five to six times a year as well as a resident viticulturalist, Valerie Tate, upon whose advice and guidance they rely devotedly.  Although the family-owned vineyard was only established in 2004, it is clear that its humble, hands-on approach and dedication to excellence has earned Painted Rock a solid reputation and a promising future.

[Read the story of Painted Rock here.]

  

Bitch.

Or "The Story of How a Grenache and a Hug Saved the Day."

This post will be brief because I don’t have the patience- It is, after all, that time of the month. 

One of those days that feels like everything is wrong and nothing will ever be right… it’s quite simply the utter agony of being a girl.  And yet, there remains an even greater agony for a very select and special few…. having to deal with that girl.

On one otherwise pleasant, late-spring evening… such were the trials of a girl and her drummer.

Thankfully, he noticed the signs early: the shortness of temper, cravings for chocolate chips, the prolonged melancholy, and random bursts of laughter quickly evolving into pouty-faced blues.  It was a fast-devolving situation, one that could clearly go nowhere good- and fast.  But the astute drummer quickly took charge.  Although the potential for being completely unreasonable was exceptionally high, it was all deftly managed by a big hug, a pair of strong arms (and a knowing smirk). 

Having dodged that bullet, the girl and her drummer carried on with their night.

Later, unexpectedly, the rage returned.  On her own, and totally helpless, a hot bubble bath and a large glass of wine were the only things that could attempt to live up to that hug… and so soon followed.

The wine was a 2008 Grenache from South Australia with a pink label and aptly called ‘Bitch’. It was expertly paired with a chocolate cupcake with pink frosting, also aptly called ‘Diva’.

Bubbles!

The Teahouse- Tasting in the Park (Thurs, June 9th) Hosted by Corby's Distilleries
http://www.vancouverdine.com/

       Well, I don’t know if it was that I was the most excited, the quickest to leave work or it was the simple allure of spending the next few hours with some strangers & sparkly champagnes… but I was ridiculously early to the Teahouse Tasting in the Park.

Yep, really early.  The only one there. Like a grown-up child on the first day of champagne school. Ready to get started.

Thank goodness the view was so lovely (bartenders included), and the staff was so great… I felt a bit like a tourist who had just rolled into town and stumbled upon the most hidden gem of a city.

I settled into a kir royale while I waited for the world to catch up to me, and got pleasantly lost in thought. 

When I was younger, I took great pride in boasting that I would drink champagne (or méthode, or sparkling) any time of day, for any occasion or none, and especially in the bath. Beyond the celebratory Moëts and Veuves, which cost me a pretty penny, I would keep bottles of Henkell instead of cases of beer in my fridge, and bring piccolos with straws on camping trips.  Injecting something so special into the mundane was my forté and not-so-secret pleasure. 

Mind you, I also used to leave the country on a whim, dream indiscriminately, and worry less about where my life was going than getting lost in a kiss. 

Hmmmmm….

          I was jolted from my reverie by the sweet sound of a cork popping, and we were ready to start.  Danielle, from Corby’s Distilleries, took us through 4 wines, and 3 countries, and gave a thorough description of each, with details of the history as well as the tasting notes.

Dirty Laundry

I have to tell you, I’ve never done this before… I’m just not that kind of girl.

 

But tonight, I’m pulling out the Dirty Laundry.

It is, after all, what got me to this place. 

31 years, a plethora of passions, 3 major loves and more neuroses than I can count.  I have reached the point of no return more times than I care to admit, and yet I always seem to end up on the same ledge.

After yet another dramatic crisis, it was once again time for me to get off my ass, out of my head, and out of my own way.  So I called the girls and through my tears, did what I so often do, blindly grabbed a bottle of wine.

This time, it ended up being the Dirty Laundry Chardonnay (2010) from the Okanagan Valley~ how appropriate.