New BC Wines

The Playhouse International Wine Festival is taking place today and tomorrow in Vancouver, and this year's theme region is BC. Hillside Liquor Store just received some new vintage BC wines so we could always recommend a few bottles for your own personal "BC wine tasting".

New to the store is Fairview Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
The Fairview Cellars 2008 Sauvignon Blanc has a touch of Semillon added to it, making this wine more of an Old-World style of Sauvignon Blanc, very food friendly with citrusy notes- the perfect oyster wine.

The Fairview Cellars Merlot is deliciously rich with lots of raspberry, plum and blackberry notes. Pair this one with cheeses, lamb, steak, or drink it by itself.

The Fairview Cellars Cabernet Franc is a wonderful example of how good this varietal can be! A little bit of the expected bell pepper on the nose but lots of good dark fruits and a hint of leather on the palate. Pair this one with grilled meats, Roast Beef or strong cheeses.

Also just arrived is the 2008 Kettle Valley Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer. http://www.kettlevalleywinery.com/ourwines.asp

The 2008 Pinot Gris has been cold soaked on the skins, giving the wine a pretty salmon-coloured hue and lending it a lovely fruitiness. Also, a portion of the wine has been aged in older French barrels and allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation. This is a fantastic food wine- give it a try with chicken, salmon, mild cheeses, halibut, sausages or mildly spicy foods.

The 2008 Gewurztraminer is an Alsace-styled Gewurztraminer, with lots of rose, grapefruit and lychee on the nose with good fruit follow through on the palate. A nice acidity keeps this rich and delectable wine in balance. This is a Gewurztraminer to seek out- quantities are limited.

Finally, file this under "Incredible Value" !
Hester Creek http://www.hestercreek.com/ has recently released its outstanding Cabernet Merlot in the 3l box format! The Pinot Blanc has been available in the 3l format for a few months, and represents unbelievable value for a box wine.
The Pinot Blanc retails for $15.99 per bottle, whereas the 3l box sells for $46.80- that's a $17 savings for buying the box as opposed to 4 bottles. The Pinot Blanc shows lots of green apple, nectarine and pineapple flavours, making it a versatile food pairing wine, but also great just to sip on. Besides the great savings, the 3l box saves on packaging, and keeps for at least 6 weeks once opened as there is no way for air to enter the box.
The Cabernet Merlot retails for $18.90 a bottle, with the 3l box only $46.80. That's a savings of $29 compared to buying 4 bottles! The Cabernet Merlot is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and exhibits lots of plum and blackberry flavours. Incredibly smooth, this is a great food wine for all things grilled (meat, veggies), but also for cheeses and chocolate!