A Taste of Summer at Firefly Fine Wines and Ales
May 30, 2010 by Sheila Whittaker
Firefly Fine Wines and Ales held its first educational tasting event Saturday, May 29, 2010. Guests were invited to enjoy “A Taste of Summer,” with three whites, three roses and three big reds. The evening was hosted by yours truly, Sheila Whittaker.
It was a bling tasting and all I told my guests was that the three wines in each set were all the same type of wine, but from three different countries: Canada, the US and France. The rest was up to them to sniff, sip and discuss their way to an educated guess. We marked the wines based on appearance, aroma, mouthfeel/balance, taste and finish for a total of 25 points. Scores were tallied at the end of the night to reveal the most popular wines. A little competition is always fun!
The first wine of the evening was Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2009 from Washington State ($28.95). It was very pale in the glass and we got pear, peach and other tree fruit on the nose. It left us with a sweet coating in our mouths on the finish. It was a real winner paired with the cheese from Greens Organic + Natural Market, as the salty flavours complimented the sweetness. It would be a great choice for a summer picnic — bring on the cheese, bread and charcuterie! It took third place in the evening’s popularity contest.
Paul Zinck Riesling 2007 from Alsace, France ($27.15) was up next. A couple years older than the other two
Rieslings, it was more golden in the glass. There was a definite diesel note and minerality that was not present in the other two. We thought it would be great with fish and chips, as the dryness would cut the fat. Another great food pairing idea was flatbread brushed with olive oil and topped with anchovies and Asiago cheese. Although two tasters really enjoyed this wine, it was 8th overall, as many tasters were unaccostomed to the diesel note.
Orofino Riesling 2009 from Cawston in BC’s Similkameen Valley ($24.85) rounded out the trio in style. It was pale in coulour with floral, peach, apricot and pink grapefruit notes. It was just the right balance of sweetness and acidity, smooth to drink and long on the finish. This wine got everyone talking and was the number one wine of the night.
It was interesting to see the range of wines that can be made from one varietal! As one guest said “I learned something tonight — I like Riesling! I thought I didn’t before.” Congratulations!
We moved on to our second trio, this time is was rose — a must-drink for the summer months.
Domaine du Bosc Rose 2008 from Southern France ($21.15) was the deepest in colour, a fleshy pink reminiscent of tuna sashimi. 
It was simple, fresh and fruity — one taster suggested it smelled like “Cherry Jolly Rancher.” Although, another said it was reminiscent of “the bus ride home,” since the alcohol came through on the nose. The finish was a bit stemmy and bitter, so this is not a patio sipping rose — it is made for creamy pasta or other rich lunches. This was the least popular wine of the evening.
8th Generation Rose 2009 from Summerland, BC ($23.45) was a pretty pale pink and offered delicious jammy strawberry aroma and taste, accompanied by dried cranberry and sour cherry. It was well-balanced with good acid to compliment the slight sweetness. We all agreed it would be a great wine to greet dinner guests with in the summer and serve with the first course. It would also suit the patio on a breezy summer afternoon. It was the most popular rose of the evening and fourth overall.
Delicato White Zinfandel 2006 from California, USA ($11.35) had a very sweet strawberry and watermelon aroma. The nose gave
us a lot to talk about, but the wine was very simple with little to no acidity and it disappeared on the finish. It placed seventh in our popularity contest.
It was time to prepare for summer BBQ’s with some big reds.
I fudged a little bit and chose a Merlot-based Bordeaux to start off a flight of Cabernet Sauvignon. I was dying to try it! Chateau Ronan 2005 from Bordeaux, France ($33.85) had a complex nose of cherry, anise, cassis, and earth. It was a mellow, medium-bodied drink with well-integrated, dusty tannins. Chateau Ronan is the entry level wine from Chateau Clinet, a sought-after Pomerol estate. Being from the right bank of Bordeaux, the blend is driven by Merlot and backed up by Cabernet Sauvignon. It would make a great dinner wine for the summer with grilled chicken, pork or BBQ chicken pizza. It was sixth in the horse race.
After one sniff of Hester Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 from Oliver, BC ($43.25), the tasting room was buzzing with 
commentary. It was very unique: cedar, wood, sawdust, earth, smoke, vanilla, potpurri — one taster likened it to “working on the roof,” while another thought of a hope chest. The palate was intense with more cedar, vanilla, plum, chocolate and coffee. It screams for meaty BBQ fare: smoked sausage or Jack Daniels-sauced ribs. It placed fifth on the night.
We finished the night with Pacific Breeze Killer Cab 2007, made with California grapes in New Westminister, BC ($27.85). We got chocolate, tobacco, cherry, prune, and sage on the nose. It was a deep ruby colour and full-bodied — tasters were using words like ‘powerful’ and ‘ballsy’ to describe the mouthfeel. This would stand up to anything from the summer grill, especially red meat. It was a great way to end the tasting and was the most popular red, while finishing second overall.
The night was a big success and lots of fun — thanks to all the guests for their active participation! I look forward to the next tasting night at Firefly.
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