Wine&War

Wine bloggers everywhere look forward to reading and participating in the very popular blogging feature called
"Wine Blogging Wednesday". A different
host blog and a different theme each month. The theme for this month is "Silver Burgundy"and is hosted by
Brooklynguy's Wine and Food Blog
My first inclination was to participate. Then I read a review of the book pictured here and realized I was in possession of that very same book. And of course this past weekend multi television shows and documentaries covered the special day of November 11. Commemorated throughout the world, it is variously known as Remembrance Day in Australia,Canada and the United Kingdom, Poppy Day in Malta and South Africa, Armistice Day in France and New Zealand and Veterans Day in the United States. So my mind started wandering and wondering about what Burgundy would have become had it not
been liberated by the brave and heroic efforts of the Allied forces. "Wine & War" by Don and Petie Kladstrup gives an excellent account of these wartime events. Then I received an email with John Gebhardt picture taken in Iraq along with this note.
John Gebhardt's wife, Mindy, said that this little girl's entire family was executed. The insurgents intended to execute the little girl also, and shot her in the head ...... but they failed to kill her. She was cared for in John's hospital and is healing up, but she continues to cry and moan. The nurses said John is the only one who seems to calm her down, so John has spent the last four nights holding her while they both slept in that chair. The girls is coming along with her healing.
So instead of reviewing a Silver Burgundy for my post
I am taking a moment to remember and praise those heroic men and women who sacrificed themselves and continue to do so today, so that we may enjoy the remarkable wines from Burgundy. Be sure to visit
Brooklynguy's Wine Blog for what should be a very interesting round up of excellent Burgundians.
Take a moment in your busy hectic day and remember.

No need to shiver...but try a Naked Chardonnay!

Never say never! When I started this blog I promised myself not to ever review any wines and post an entry on them. My feeling was and still is that any wines I may review are not necessarily available to readers of my blog and therefore not really useful. But much has been in the news both local and internationally about BC's new Wine Authority. Well Fed Network did a good summation on the subject. At the same time Wine Blogging Wednesday now has its own blog. So that is where the never say never comes in because I have decided to review a couple of BC's Naked Chardonnays. But before I do, you may very well ask if British Columbia makes any chardonnays of note. You bet it does! In 1994 the Grand Reserve Barrel Select Chardonnay from Mission Hill Family Estate Winery won the coveted International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) for Best Chardonnay. Mission Hill, under wine maker John Simes also went on to bring home North America's only gold medal from the 2001 Chardonnay du Monde Competition.
Both of the unoaked chardonnays I reviewed happen to match up perfectly with grilled seafood. How often do you get a chance to use two of the links on your blog? Well for one, my friend from California was up in this neck of the woods and with his favorite fishing guide, went out and caught his limit of beautiful Pacific Salmon. Couldn't keep them of the hooks. I was the beneficiary of that bountiful catch. So what do you do with fabulous fresh Pacific salmon? You go to another favorite link of mine and use the marvelous recipe for grilled salmon David , over at Cooking Chat, put out there. David, matched his salmon with the Dutton Estate Sauvignon Blanc and I am sure it was a great match but the two wines I am about to describe worked magically well with his recipe.
One of my favorite BC wineries is Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery. It is BC's largest family owned and operated winery. An outstanding young
winemaker, Graham Pierce makes award winning wines.
A fine example of his talents is the :

Estate Collection Chardonnay 2005 (unoaked)
The grapes for this clean, crisp, fresh Chardonnay came from the estates' southern Okanagan vineyards. Stainless steel fermentation only, with no malolactic fermentation, it clocks in at 2g/L residual sugar and 7.8 g/L total acid. Lush lively aromas of green apple, pear and lemon lift up to greet you, followed with rich flavours of ripe tree fruit the Okanagan valley is known to produce. On the palate a mingling of apple, pear and citrus flavours lead to a well balanced lingering finish. A perfect summer sipper wine for those long warm summer days, but oh so delicious to match up with those grilled fish or chicken dishes we all love to enjoy at this time of the year. Sells at $13.90 Can.
This wine is ready for consumption now but could develop some nice complexity if cellared for 2 to 3 years.


My second choice was the: Gray Monk Twenty Fifth Anniversary 2006 Chardonnay Unwooded.
Gray Monk's unoaked chardonnay has been a very popular
wine at any time of the year but it is an extremely pleasant patio summer sipper. It is medium
dry with a residual sugar of 8.6o g/L and a total acidity of 6.90 g/L.

Grey Monk was established in 1972 by George and Trudy Heiss. George Heiss Jr. the winemaker, spent four years in Germany
learning the art of wine making and became the chief winemaker beginning with the 1984 harvest. Countless medals have been
awarded to his wines at major International competitions.
Again like the Mt. Boucherie chardonnay this wine was
fermented entirely in stainless steel and without malolactic
fermentation. Showing off a brilliant yellow green in the glass,
layers of tropical fruit enticingly greet the nose. A mouth filling
rush of melons, tangerine and lush tropical fruit greet the palate.
A long lingering finish of sweet fruit lets you know that
you are savoring a definite summer sipper.
Should be served well chilled if matched
with grilled seafood or chicken. This wine retails at $16.49 Can. So there you have it. My two entries for the
Wine Blogging Wednesday's naked Chardonnays.