We had been interested in setting a date for a dinner and tasting with our two close-by friends, but it was derailed by the recent omicron surge!
Instead, we arranged to dine separately, but using the same wine selection, and then connect on Zoom over the dessert wine and discuss the wines, and the match with our dinners.
We started with seared scallops served over guacamole. Our main course was peri-peri chicken thighs served with homemade fries, buttered carrots and golden turnips with dill, and Joan’s homemade ketchup. (Notice the interloper looking for leftover chicken!)
We finished with leftover Christmas treats – shortbread, cookies, and fruitcake.
Our friends started with cold and hot smoked salmon. Then it was BBQ rib steak, Boursin potatoes, and a vegetable casserole. They finished with some butter tarts.
Our appetizer wine was the Kettle Valley, Great Northern Vineyard Viognier 2019. Our main course wine was one of the early Founder’s Choice offerings from Opimian, the Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy Cabernet-Tempranillo 2004. For dessert we had the Skaha Vineyard Flying Change 2016 (a fortified Merlot!).
The Viognier was fleshy with a full mouth feel, loads of juicy acidity, showing some apricot on the nose, and ginger in the mouth. The fleshiness went well with both the guac, and the smoked salmon, while the acidity accentuated the seafood and cleansed the palate.
The red was a perfect match with the steak, and did not overwhelm the chicken. There was evident smoke, black currant, and tobacco with dusty tannins. Good acidity supported full mouth flavours, and dried Christmas fruits of cherries and currants.
Our dessert wine was a bit of a revelation. It could easily be mistaken for a quality LBV port with many of the same characteristics. It was dark purple, with blueberry fruit and spice (nutmeg and cinnamon), but also fresh plums and dried black currant, and mocha!
I think we will do this more often, so long as in-person activities are restricted.
We enjoyed our last virtual tasting so much we had to do it again – a great excuse to pull out some wines a little more special than normal, particularly the sweets, which are rare without (real) company. And then we combine this with a chat about the wines (and other things) with our wine […]
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What a great idea. Looks and sounds wonderful and enjoyable in these times. Thanks for sharing all the tasting details too. Happy new year to you all.