Wine Diva Newsletter

October 5, 2006	Wine Diva Newsletter
	Happy Thanksgiving! Hopefully everyone is getting an early start on the long weekend.

Gobble Gobble

Break out the Tofurky! It snuck up on you didn't it?

Wine Diva spun around on Monday morning and suddenly Thanksgiving was staring me right in the face-cold mornings, reports of fall wine harvest followed closely by the march of itty-bitty pumpkins.

Read On...

BC Wine Reviews

Sandhill SLP Malbec Phantom Creek Vineyard, Okanagan BC, 2003
-Meaty! Smoked bacon/sausage-y aromas, bitter chocolate and pretty violet aromas. Good acidity and freshness with intense black fruit and smooth spices on the palate. This wine is possibly unlike any you've ever tasted- bold intrigue!
$27.00 Private wine stores Wine Diva tasted-October 2 2006

Arrowleaf Pinot Noir, Okanagan BC, 2004-
Earth, mushrooms, soft red fruit and barnyard aromas up front followed by smoke and game meat aromas. Smooth and peppery in the mouth with cedar-box and spices, tight fine dusty tannins on the finish. Excellent price point for a BC Pinot Noir.
$15.90 Private wine storesWine Diva tasted- September 21 2006

Nk'Mip Quam Qwmt Merlot, Okanagan Valley BC, 2004-
Wowza! Huge black fruit, black cherry and earth, coffee, tobacco and herbs. Rich black fruit, smooth and velvety in the mouth with chocolate, leather and spice and gripping tannins. Definitely needs time and a little more age.
$24.99 (+989632) Private wine stores (Not Yet Released)
Wine Diva tasted-September 21 2006

Read more BC Wine Reviews...

International Sips

L'Ostal Cazes "Circus" shiraz, Vin de Pays D'Oc France, 2003
-A dark fruit kabob of cherry, blackberry and plum served up with a side of dark chocolate and dried fruit. Remarkably fresh fruit on the palate, mocha, sausage-y aromas, smoke and hints of tobacco with a smooth, warm finish.
$16.84 (+25940) UPC #03760082812027
Wine Diva tasted-September 30 2006

Saxenburg "Guinea Fowl", Stellenbosch South Africa, 2003- Just Arrived!
Rich and intense with dark chocolate, black fruit, smoked meat and bell pepper aromas. Dense and masculine on the palate-roasted coffee beans, cocoa powder, leather and earth finishing with jalapeno pepper and toasted oak. A wine made for red meat. (49% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Shiraz).
$17.50+ Private wine stores
Wine Diva tasted-September 29 2006

Bringing Sexy Back
Eduardo Chadwick, president of Chile's Errazuriz made his yearly stop in Vancouver this week for a tasting of his top tier red wines. In the past two years Wine Diva has slurped her way through an amazing selection of Chilean wines with unquestionable quality-so different from the generic quaffers from the 1990's. Not only is Mr. Chadwick exceedingly charming (back away ladies) and gracious but he makes stop-me-in-my-tracks seductive wines. Read More....

Read All International Wine Reviews...

Taste Bites

A FIGMINT of Imagination

There does seem to be a dearth of sexy lounges on Wine Diva's side of the bridge. Over yonder here, in south Granville we acknowledge that Yaletown is the place for the uber lounge. So generally that's where we travel-its not far after all. But suddenly, in a nondescript hotel called the Plaza 500 on the corner of 12th and Cambie Street (yes Cambie) there's a reason to celebrate not crossing over to the other side.

Indispensable 'C'
The tin lasts me a year but the Smoked Sea Salt Flakes from 'C' Contemporary Ocean Products are an indispensable part of Wine Diva's kitchen. A pinch of these aromatic smoked flakes on top of virtually any dish from grilled foods and fresh veg to cheeses makes the flavours go 'pow'!
60g tin $9-$11 at Edible BC-in the Granville Island Public Market and specialty foods stores. Made in Vancouver

Wine Diva-isms

Hilarious House of Frightenstein

Circa 1971
Am I dating myself? I remember this show so fondly (because I only had two channels back in the day) the day in question being far later than 1971 but, recently stumbling through channels I came across this childhood memory and began watching it.

It was like yesterday-A child's version of Saturday Night Live filled with humorous (and, egads educational) skits....I am the wolfman, the librarian, Igor and his 'master' Count Frightenstein, Grizelda the witch, Dr. Pet Vet and the sloth, the Oracle, with Billy Van and Vincent Price. This Canadian show aired at 10:30 am on Saturdays right after Spiderman on CHCH channel 11. It last ran on Showcase in 1997 before Space recently began running it again.