Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/688647
{ SOMMjournal.com } 83 aging all of its bottlings under an actual four-story-high pyramid, to connect the wines with the "soul of the world." Whether you subscribe to this belief or not, the '98 tasted beautifully fresh, fine and silky, with the caramelized, biscuity yeast complexity of classic late disgorged méthode champenoise. Basaldu, however, was just as impressed by the "world-class" cuisine prepared by Bonfire Executive Chef Brian Fowke, which she described as "across-the-street-to-fork"—ingredi - ents for dishes like cream of roasted winter cauliflower soup with lan- goustine and rainbow trout caviar, sourced from local gardens and water s, beautifully matched to a silken fine, citrusy, unusually peppercorn-spiced Mission Hill 2014 Terroir Collection Okanagan Valley Viognier. Howling Bluff Estate Winery owner/winemaker Luke Smith was also on hand to pour the Howling Bluff 2014 Sauvignon Blanc–Semillon with a free-run quail with local mushroom risotto. Kristiansen described this wine as hav - ing "perfect balance of ripe grapefruit, aromatic , spring citrus blossoms and lemon balm/lemon-verbena herbal tones . . . nervy and mineral-driven on the palate." Okanagan Valley (East and West Kelowna) By 9:00 a.m. our bright-eyed sommeliers were walking on the west facing slopes of Tantalus Vineyards, looking down upon the north end of Okanagan Lake, where New Zealand–born and –trained winemaker David Paterson showed us some of the earliest plantings of Riesling and Pinot Noir in British Columbia. "We are cold climate in terms of degree days," explained Paterson, "but we do experience short, angry, hot summers before cooling off before the harvest. Subsequently, we get excellent flavor accumulation at relatively lower sugars. It may be difficult to ripen Syrah up here, but we can make a more mineral style of Chardonnay and Riesling." During the Riesling Focus seminar immediately following at Tantalus Vineyards, we tasted the wines of eight top producers, starting with a steely, lip smacking, citrusy Tantalus 2013 Old Vine Riesling and a flowery, fleshy, apple-crisp 2015 Tantalus Okanagan Valley Riesling. With age, says Paterson, B.C. Rieslings increase in "petrol/diesel, marmalade or burnt toast complexities." Kristiansen reflects upon Okanagan Valley Rieslings as "more in line with Australian flavor profiles like Clare or Eden Valley, but with a touch riper fruit, limey with a fresh orange, also more flint or minerality." Kristiansen describes the 2013 Tantalus as "leesy, candlewax, mint, and pine oil," while DeBoeur makes note of the wine's "grapefruit, citronella, petrol and saffron." Basaldu concurs, stating, "I was blown away by quality of dry Rieslings like the Tantalus 2013 Old Vine, the St. Hubertus 2013 Riesling (Key lime, lemon and chervil perfumes) Author Randy Caparoso with British Columbia Wine Institute Marketing Manager Kimberley Barnes at the welcome reception. Sommeliers and winemakers after the Riesling Focus tasting at Tantalus Vineyards. Winemaker panelists included Galen Barnhardt (Monte Creek), Michael Alexander (Summerhill Pyramid), David Paterson (Tantalus), Ingo Grady (Mission Hill) and Leo Gebert (St. Hubertus). Nichole Dishman, Marie Mertz and Kelvin DeBoeur at Tantalus Vineyards. DAY 1