Three Good Reads and a Red
Not likely!
The wine course has only served to dramatically increase my interest in all things related to wine. I have read and/or purchased a number of books relating to wine and I sometimes feel like a sponge because I am so eager to learn.
The first one, given to me by my daughter before I started my course, was The 24-Hour Wine Expert by Jancis Robinson, an excellent little book that gives a nice overview on wine and would be helpful to anyone wanting to learn more about wine then anyone else. I first saw Jancis Robinson on some of the WSET Youtube videos when I was preparing for taking my WSET. Since then, I have realized that she is one of the most influential wine critics around. Her Oxford Companion to Wine is supposed to be an amazingly thorough reference on wine and one of my planned purchases, once I steel myself to pay the $75 it costs.
After reading all of those text bookish type books, one that interested the reader in me is The Booklovers Guide to Wine; A Celebration of the History, the Mysteries, and the Literary Pleasures of Drinking Wine by Patrick Alexander. My favourite part of the book is Chapter 6 on Varietals where Alexander describes different grapes, comparing a specific type of grape to a famous writer, such as Charles Dickens and a Cab Sauv. There are also lots of interesting information about the history of wine, something that is not always included in other books on wine.
The last one that I will talk about is one that I am plodding though right now - and, oh, what a wonderful plod! It is, of course, the Bible - no, not the Christian Bible - the Wine Bible by Karen McNeil. I was lucky enough to get this book on sale (I think about $15 or $20) and it is a major reference book. It is also rather enjoyable to read through. I have been working on it for the last couple of months and find that it is enjoyable to read about different regions and try to remember the different grapes and wines in various regions around the world.
This is probably not the book for a person just finding out about wine. I would say that you should have at least some kind of knowledge about wine, whether it be a course or some reading of other, easier books. It is well written and not difficult to understand, but it is so packed with information that it might be a bit intimidating to some.
All that reading makes me thirsty! Time to look at tonight's wine.
Tonight I tried a 2016 Narrative Non Fiction Red Blend ($23) which was a blend of Cab Franc, Merlot and Syrah. purchased this wine at Save On - which I think is a wonderful opportunity. Wines are available at grocery stores, since the change in liquor laws in BC, that were previously only available at the winery or a restaurant. The liquor store does carry wines by Narrative but not this one.
A quick note on Narrative - it is produced at the Okanagan Crush Pad which is described as a 'hub for local winemakers'. I'm not sure if it still offers the same services that it did when it opened. I do know that it is home to two fine wineries, Haywire and Narrative.
The wine we had tonight was not as dark as I thought it would be - I would have thought the Syrah would have make it more inky. The nose was quite noticeable with tobacco, green pepper, and black currants. On the palate, there were some wonderful tastes including black plum and pepper. It had a bit of sweetness that I think was fruitiness (you can test that by holding your nose and drinking - if there is still sweetness, then it is actually sweet, not fruity) and some pretty well structured tannins.
To pair the wine, I had some lovely duck and truffle sausages from my favourite sausage place, Oyama on Granville Island and some homemade French gratin potatoes. I also made a port and fig sauce to accompany the sausages. The sauce was great with the sausage but not so good with the wine since the sauce was sweet. However, when I had a piece of sausage without the sauce, the wine was a perfect pairing!
Overall, I would give this wine 4 out of 5 stars.
Now, back to my books....