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| 2011 Harvest Summary | November 2011 | |
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 Salve,
As winter starts to close in on the valley, we finally have had a chance to sit back and reflect on the 2011 harvest.
As spring turned to summer this year, the rains continued un-abated and there was general panic throughout the Okanagan that 2011 could be one of the worst vintages in recent memory. Right around Canada Day, however, everything changed. August brought constant sunshine and perfect temperatures. September and October continued the trend and what looked to be a poor vintage turned into a VERY good one!
Most of the good producers carried a smaller than usual crop load due to the poor spring. Smaller crop loads combined with the glorious late summer and fall to grant fantastic phenolic (flavour) maturity. Simultaneously we have acid levels exactly where we'd like to see them and slightly lower than usual alcohol levels. All in all it turned into an almost perfect vintage!
In this issue:
As always, we wish you happy drinking!
Ciao!
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 Harvest Summary
2011 in 100 words by James Cambridge
Wow! what a year we've had. I can hardly believe it's almost over. I bet six months ago everyone was about to shoot themselves. Early and often rains in May and June had all of us worried, with no end of horrible thoughts creeping into our minds. But hold on: July rolls in with warm, dry weather, our vineyard team performs timely shoot thinning, leaf removal, and ultimately, and for me most crucially: bunch thinning. We are harvesting a little later than in previous years, but that's why we have vintages. From July through to harvest we had amazing weather with little rain. This all adds up to a strange but very good crop. Flavours are great, alcohols and ph will be lower and acids are lively, leading to what I think will be a sensational vintage. For me, the lasting image of the 2011 vintage is that the fruit is the cleanest I have seen in all my years in the Okanagan. There was zero fungal issues do deal with. This makes fermentation much easier and more importantly causes me less stress! People, you should be waiting on this vintage and the resulting wines with great anticipation.
"Outstanding" will be the eventual description of the wines from this year.
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| Last Call on 2008 Fortissimo
Our 2008 Super Tuscan Blend is almost gone!
It's sad to say, but the 2008 Fortissimo is almost completely sold out. The 2008 blend of Merlot, Cab Franc, Cab Sauv and most importantly Sangiovese Grosso (of Brunello fame) has delighted drinkers since we released it in March.
If you are interested in any of the last cases of the 2008 Fortissimo please order online or contact us. The 2009 edition will be released in the early spring of 2012.
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Events Roundup
It has been a very busy couple weeks for LaStella:  At the Gold Medal Plates event in Edmonton on November 3rd LaStella poured the 2008 Fortissimo along with food from chef Sarah Masters-Phillips of d'Lish Urban Kitchen & Wine Bar. In Vancouver LaStella was delighted to pour our Cuvee 900 Seymour custom blend alongside the delightful cuisine of Chef Neil Taylor of Cibo November 4th. Moving on to Whistler the 2008 Fortissimo was featured at the Crush Gala on both Friday and Saturday nights. Our 2009 Moscato D'Osoyoos was a crowd favourite at the Breakfast Bubbles event Saturday morning and the magnificent 2008 LaSophia made an appearance on Sunday at a focus on Cabernet Sauvignon seminar. Check our events page for upcoming events and the latest information. |
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Tea Sommelier
Yes, that's the technical term
In October the Tea Association of Canada held a competition called "So You Think You Can Be a Tea Sommelier". LaStella's own Rasoul Salehi competed and was one of only 3 winners!
"One of our great success stories this year at the show was the execution of our first ever, "So You Think You Can Be a Tea Sommelier" competition. In an attempt to rival the Canadian Barista Championship and bring an animated and exciting competition into the tea realm, TAC had a wonderful turnout from competitors, audience support and media. In fact, we had more competitors lining up for this blind tea tasting competition then we could accommodate. With over 25 challengers we had 3 winners who now have a one year honorary membership with TAC. Congratulations to Paul Higgins Junior from Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee, Judy Lin from T-Buds and Rasoul Salehi. This was an exciting first for us, but will certainly not be the last as we plan to host the competition again next year."
Congrats to Rasoul! |
| LaStella Wine Society
 The LaStella Wine Society is the best way to appreciate our award winning wines. Being a member offers many rewards including:
- First chance at new releases
- Two tickets to a winery dinner of your choice each year
- Free shipping on all wine purchases
- An invitation to our members only party at the winery. This year's party featured catering by 'C' Restaurant and a private performance by Barney Bentall!
Click here for details or contact our concierge.
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 Weddings at LaStella
Rolling hills, Tuscan inspired villa, manicured vineyards and views of Osoyoos Lake - LaStella is your perfect romantic venue for an unforgettable day. Contact our operations manager Mo to begin your planning. |
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Women United in Philanthropy
La Stella donates 2% of all website proceeds to the United Way's Women United in Philanthropy. The WUIP strives to ensure our community's most vulnerable children enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school. By bringing together the knowledge, compassion and financial resources of women, we are helping change the future for children in the Lower Mainland. Donations raised by WUIP go towards programs that help parents and caregivers access the information and support services they need to nurture their children.
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 Join us on Twitter for all the latest news and announcements! Keep your eyes open for contests and giveaways too!
 Check us out on Facebook for news, information and the latest photographs from the Okanagan Valley! |
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| Save 10% |
Order online and save 10% when you order a case of 12 bottles (excludes library releases and special release wines)! Wines are shipped directly from the winery by DHL. On top of that 2% of online sales are donated to the United Way's Women United in Philanthropy.
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