Hey there, Mr. Mayor!
I know you’re incredibly busy, so I’ll try to keep this fairly brief.
I am not writing this post from the standpoint of someone who habitually votes for you and the Vision Vancouver party (though I do,) nor am I writing this as someone who happily consumes a few gallons of various Happy Planet Juices each year (the Abundant-C is my favourite. What’s yours?)
I’m writing this as a Vancouver enthusiast and as a local wine-industry professional who works with hotels, restaurants, wine stores and does many events and seminars with the general public. From my East Van Wine Academy educational events at The Waldorf Hotel to my various capacities with the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, to my Westender column and beyond, I take much pride in being able to contribute to the city’s culture in my own little way.
I’d taken note of the Tweet you’d sent out the other day and had one of those “a-ha” moments.
Now, I totally agree with you and Councillor Deal regarding our ridiculous provincial liquor laws, with the Rio Theatre‘s fresh liquor-primary license allowing live events but not movie screenings (seriously, what’s up with that?) – it’s incredibly encouraging to see the City flexing a little muscle to support small business and common sense. I commend you for also initiating the #UpdateLiquorLaws hashtag. Good one!
So here’s what I’m thinking:
I don’t have to tell you about the incredible hypocrisy and confounding logic behind many of our current provincial liquor laws. And I realize that we’re not going to reinvent the wheel in one fell swoop; but if there’s an opportunity to call on the Province to re-open those dusty old books- may I remind you of a few other current regulations that hurt small business, stifle Vancouver’s quality of life and prevent us from being on par with the majority of other great cities of the world:
- Licensees (restaurants and bars) get zero wholesale discount when purchasing alcohol to re-sell in their establishments. This is one of the many challenges of running a sustainable business that employs a significant percentage of the workforce and contributes greatly to the city’s culture.
- Catering companies cannot obtain Special Occasion Licenses for their clients’ events, nor can they acquire or the alcohol for them. According to Tourism Vancouver, the city misses out on many opportunities and revenue due to this.
- Special Occasion Licenses cannot be obtained for any commercial purpose. This theoretically halts any proper wine education in Vancouver. Whether via the Wine & Spirit Education Trust or International Sommelier Guild, educational sit-down tastings (if people pay for them) are not lawful in BC. How could Vancouver retain it’s position as a respected, global dining destination if we can’t properly educate those looking to contribute to the city’s wine culture?
- Private Wine Stores, which cannot sell their product to restaurants (though they’ve purchased it from the BCLDB) are permitted to sell cigarettes and lottery tickets to their customers, but it would be illegal for them to sell milk, bread or newspapers. In what realm is this logical?
Sir, I absolutely empathise with the Rio’s plight. The laws are absurd. I am encouraged to see City Council step up to the Province and make some noise about this. My four points above are just the first four things that popped into my head that hurt small business and embarrass our city on a regular basis.
I haven’t even gotten into the two-week turnaround time for licensees to receive ordered product from the BCLDB warehouse in Richmond (and that it’s illegal for licensees or agents to go there,) the 123% import tax that makes wine and alcohol more expensive here than almost every other jurisdiction in North America, that BYO in restaurants is illegal, and many other things that makes Vancouver lag behind.
All of these out-of date liquor laws hurt business and hurt our city. We are not keeping up with global colleagues because of this. Small business struggles. Big business struggles.
The problems and issues are not limited to the Rio Theatre. I hate to say it but they are a drop in the bucket and indicative of a larger problem. There are countless other businesses that suffer just as much as them, if not more.
We have tried so hard, time after time, to deal with the Province on this, only to be shunned, turned away and bullied.
On your party’s website there is a quote from you that reads, “We need your support to keep Vancouver moving forward.“
Sir, myself and a host of others affected by these Prohibition-era laws are eager to work with you toward a better future for Vancouver. You have had our continued support.
May we have yours?
Sincerely,
I first had my eyes opened to Lambrusco by a producer called Lini 910, while in San Francisco a couple years back. Most people reading this now likely have a negative or neutral impression of Lambrusco – maybe even the idea of something tasting like sparkling Welch’s grape juice with a little alcohol in it. Yet real and serious Lambrusco can be revelatory – dry with grippy tannins, yet delicious, incredibly food friendly, and fun to drink.
A little Lambrusco from this quality category by a small family producer called Rinaldini has now trickled into our province thanks to Matt and Mike at Sedimentary Wines. The Vecchio Moro is a little more fruit driven and slightly sweeter and likely to be a bigger crowd pleaser. The Picol Ross is made in traditional method style – drier, more savoury, herbaceous and complex. Both have a beautiful fresh berry quality and an interesting rubbery nose. They will both be amazing on the dinner table with some dark meats or charcuterie. I really recommend you find a bottle while you still can. Word is, Kits Wine Cellar has them for around $30.
Check out a blog post on the Sedimentary Wines site for more info on Rinaldini.
It was in Margaret River after visiting a good handful of wineries (and starting to get exhausted) that we were picked up by this gentleman, Mr. Nigel Gallop, who proceeded to drive us to Fraser Gallop Estate, his stunning (almost Napa-esque) vineyard and winery surrounding his tasteful, stately manor on a small, man-made lake.
We didn’t know much about his wines (only recently Appelation Wine Marketing has been bringing them into Vancouver,) but knew that Clive Otto, his well-respected winemaker, had spent 16 years previously building Vasse Felix into the force-to-be-reckoned-with it is today. Clive’s assistant winemaker Kate Morgan, certainly no slouch, got her chops via a who’s-who of Margaret River wineries from Coldstream Hills to Stella Bella.
As storm clouds rolled in, we sat around the winery as Nigel went through his philosophy (terroir-driven wines, intensive attention to detail, expressive fruit) and we swirled, sipped and (yup!) spat their wines.
The 2011 Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc had amazing minerality with perfumed clementine oranges, the 2010 Estate Chardonnay had integration, finesse and nutty notes reminiscent of Burgundy, while the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon proved sturdy, stylish and complex, a good example why Cab is king in Western Australia.
Beyond all of the tasting notes I jotted down, and there were plenty, there was a common thread of distinct purity of fruit. The wines all carried this pristine clarity, zooming right into the heart of each grape’s individual nature.
Think of wearing glasses, or sunglasses, and wearing them often throughout the day. The odd time you’ll get a fingerprint or a mark on them, microscopic splashes from eating and drinking occasionally, your average wear. Now- you can see fine, and if anyone asked you’d be pretty confident your glasses were rather clean. But then you take them off and hold them up to the light. Whoa! They are kind of dirty. So you give them a quick rinse, and then a quick polish. Now- when you first put those glasses back on, THAT!
THAT is what sipping these wines were like. The colour, the flavour, the soul- so vivid, bright and intense. After tasting probably a hundred wines that day, many of them amazing, the wines of Fraser Gallop were a revelation.
Do follow them up in Vancouver, they’re in private wine stores. The Cab-Merlot’s around 30 bucks and the straight Cabernet Sauvignon is well worth a 50.
In fact, do yourself a favour and hit up House Wine’s Pioneers & Superstars event on January 27th, a showcase of Australia’s most illustrious fare, with Fraser Gallop Cabernet Merlot and a host of other well-curated jaw-dropping, myth-busting bottles. They’ve assembled some pretty cool stuff and tickets are going quick. If it’s been a while since you’ve visited Australian wines, this is certainly the time and place.
…I’m now on a mission. To learn as much as possible about Giuseppe Quintarelli as I can. And let me tell you, it’s not an easy task. If you Google him, you only get so much before the information becomes redundant. Why Wine Spectator, particularly in it’s most recent edition which focuses on Italian wines, doesn’t spend a little time on Quintarelli, I guess we’ll never know. But considering how amazing his wines are supposed to be, I would hope Wine Spectator, of all magazines, would have spent some time finding and interviewing this guy.
So, just for the reader’s information, I reproduce the following tidbit:
“It is the Chateau d’Yquem of Italy, absent the grandeur. It is IWM’s fastest selling wine, yet has no marketing. It is the coveted gem of the Boot, but does not bear the prestigious name Sassicaia or Gaja. It is a legendary winery, without an estate. Its bottles are identified by hand scripted labels that provide a glimpse into the heart and soul of the world’s truest artisanal winemaker. It is Quintarelli!
Known as “the Master of the Veneto,” Giuseppe Quintarelli makes some of the world’s most sought-after wines. From aperitifs to digestifs, his limited production Amarones, Reciotos, and Valpolicellas are the benchmark for excellence (along with Dal Forno, Veneto’s other legendary producer). Their greatness stems from the inherent quality of the terroir and natural talent of this master, whose concept of vintage approval and strict grape selection rival the great Chateau of Sauternes. Giuseppe puts his wines on the market when he deems them ready, often keeping them in the cellar for decades until the right moment arrives.”
Do Bianchi had the chance to peek behind the curtain last year:
While appointments and interviews may have posed challenges for the non-Italophone among us, I have spoken to and interviewed Bepi by telephone on many occasions and I have arranged visits for many of my friends and colleagues. That’s not to say that a visit to Quintarelli is something that should be contemplated lightheartedly. It’s one of the greatest wineries in the world and it’s one of the last great wineries — and the greatest winery — of the Valpolicella where traditional Valpolicella wines are still produced. The wines are prohibitively expensive (although less so in Italy than the U.S. where the purveyors of Quintarelli have ensured that the wines are accessible only to the entitled among us). Wine professionals and wine collectors: If you love the wines of Quintarelli, don’t be shy to request an appointment.
Almost fittingly, it was also Do Bianchi who broke the news of Quintarelli’s passing over here:
As he passes from this world to a better one, I know that his legacy will live on in his wines and a generation whose sensibilities were shaped by them… We are lucky to have had him — and the wines — here among us…
Read his whole post here.
I’ve been tossing it around for months, but I think I’m finally going to go ahead and buy Gissen’s Metro Wine Map of France…
The trailer for Somm, an upcoming documentary about four guys looking to achieve Master Sommelier status, has just been released!
I honestly shivered when I logged onto Facebook this morning and saw this photo and status update from my friend Stephanie, who works with her husband (winemaker David Paterson) at Tantalus Vineyards.
This photo is of -10 weather at 5:30 in the morning, when the conditions were finally optimal to pick Syrah grapes for their icewine.
Syrah? Icewine?
Said David to the Kelowna Daily Courier:
“We have a very small test patch of Syrah that we made icewine from last year. It was absolutely gorgeous – a beautiful, ruby-red, gorgeous Syrah that tastes like blackberries and cassis. So we decided we would go with just the straight Syrah icewine again. I think there’s only a couple of us in Canada who do the Syrah icewine.”
Man.
I have a hard enough time waking up in my comfortable home just to make some coffee and start my day on the couch. THIS, dear reader, is dedication to one’s craft…
The annual Tourism Vancouver Dine Out Vancouver Festival is almost upon us, reservations went live yesterday and with 225 restaurants participating, it’s going to be the biggest one yet!
I was reading Scout’s synopsis of this year’s event, and while there’s some killer looking menus from Hawksworth to Cin Cin and beyond, it’s a late night happening at Kitsilano’s Abigail’s Party that had me drooling more than anything else.
The official scoop:
Sausages & Rosés, A Happy Marriage
Abigail’s Party
January 29
9pm, 3+hours
$30*
Enjoy a selection of locally hand-crafted sausages from some of British Columbia’s finest sausage makers including Oyama, Moccia and Cioffi’s, paired with an exquisite selection of BC VQA rosé wines.
This is definitely going to be the best sausage party ever!
Book by email: eat@abigailsparty.ca (please include name, phone number and number of tickets requested)
* includes eight handmade sausages with paired accompaniments, and eight BC VQA rosé wine tastings. HST and gratuity not included.
Right?!?
I did a stretch of cameos at Abigail’s earlier in the year and let me be the first to tell you it’s a pretty darn fun place to dine. Most places instruct their staff to “treat guests like you would if they were in your home,” and I can’t think of anywhere that that just naturally happens more than at James Iranzad’s Kitsilano hotspot. James is a good friend of mine, a BC wine proponent and I’m glad he’s on my let’s-get-people-drinking-Rosé-in-winter team, it’s the perfect food-pairing wine.
I just may have to crash this party…
Cool Champagne infographic from Wine.com, created by Killer Infographics. Just click to see it full-sized!
When I was in Australia touring wineries, meeting winemakers and principals last November, there were a few statements I found myself saying commonly that rendered whichever company I was keeping speechless. Any idea how insane something has to be to make an Aussie speechless?
The conversation, which would usually be about something else, would usually turn this way:
Me: Actually no, when restaurants buy wine to sell on their wine lists, they don’t get a wholesale discount.
Them: What kind of discounts do restaurants get, then?
Me: None.
Them: None?
Me: None. If a wine is $24.99 on a store shelf, that’s how much a restaurant has to buy it for to re-sell it.
Them: And they can buy only from the government stores?
Me: Yup, only their two designated government stores to purchase from. But if it’s a ‘Spec’ (not liquor store shelf) item, they have to order it from the government warehouse just south of Vancouver. It’s about a twenty minute drive, but it takes a minimum of two weeks for them to ship it to us.
Them: What?!? Why wouldn’t you just go pick up the wine form the warehouse?
Me: It’s illegal for anyone to go there.
Them: <perplexed silence>
Me: I know.
Them: And what’s the import tax on wine again, just to ship a wine into BC?
Me: 123%
Them: How much? I thought you said 123%. (laughs)
Me: Yup, 123%. Oh, and then there’s 12% HST.
Them: Jesus.
Me: I know.
The conversation would go on and on. I’d mention how private wine stores can sell lottery tickets and cigarettes, but it’s illegal for them to sell bread or milk. I’d mention how we can’t bring wine across provincial borders, that it’s a federal offence. Happy hour is illegal in BC. There’s no BYO in restaurants. And on. And on. And on. And on.
Embarrassing.
It looks as though there is room for at least some minimal change this year- we’ll take what we can get at this point. Mark Hicken, a BC lawyer specializing in Wine Law, wrote a great pseudo-manifesto on the potential of 2012. On the growing weekly BC Wine Chat Wednesday evening Twitter dialogue run by Tinhorn Creek’s Owner/Winemaker Sandra Oldfield, there was some hearty shaking of the tree last night, you can watch the local frustration unfold in real-time.
Cherries And Clay’s Jake Skakun wrote an Op-Ed at Scout Magazine about it a little over a year ago, the aftershocks still emanate to this day. Most recently, The Tyee published a piece on BC’s Five Looniest Liquor Laws.
For every step of progress though, we get further evidence of the problem suffocating local business and confounding the public (sigh.)
I’m pretty curious to see what happens this year as critical mass builds around these issues. It seems that our only hope is increasing public awareness of how much these laws affect us all, socially and financially. Since constant letters, emails and meetings with those of us in the industry are too easily deflected, ignored or dismissed by The Powers That Be, I’d wager that the next logical step should be a public awareness campaign (high-profile political stunt?) to get a groundswell of support from the general public on these issues. A grass-roots effort from within our industry coupled with clear facts and communication.
This could be an interesting year…
UPDATE: As I was composing this, The Globe & Mail published this story on NDP leader Adrian Dix’s support of abolishing the current inter-provincial wine shipping barriers.
UPDATE 2: I neglected to mention Tim Pawsey‘s great piece in today’s Vancouver Courier on the absurdity of our laws.
