In mid-August, we spent an entertaining and educational hour with Michelle Schulze at Venturi-Schulze Vineyards in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. Michelle is such a character, and as authentic as it gets. She shared lots of fun stories and good wine with us. Michelle manages the vineyards and works closely with her step-father, Giordano Venturi, to make the wine. Her mother Marilyn is hands-on, a scientist excelling in vinegar production. Venturi-Schulze was the third licensed winery on Vancouver Island in 1993. As well as 100% estate-grown wines, you’ll find ancient-method balsamic vinegar and jams. Moreover, the late, great Ron Zimmerman of well-known The Herbfarm imports Venturi-Schulze wines and vinegars for his restaurant near Seattle. And Venturi-Schulze Zeigelt is very popular with Victoria’s Hanks *a restaurant.
Tag Archives: BC Wine Country
Unsworth Vineyards
Last month, we visited Unsworth Vineyards, on the southeast corner of Vancouver Island, for the first time. This beautiful winery in the Cowichan Valley offers outstanding wines and warm hospitality. The First Nations Salish translation of ‘Cowichan’ means warm land. Certainly, temperatures in the valley are typically warmer than anywhere else in Canada. The late Canadian chef and author, James Barber named the area “Canada’s Provence.” As a result of the mild, Mediterranean-like climate, rich volcanic and glacial soil, and rolling hills, the wines feature a distinctively pronounced minerality. Friendly and knowledgeable Hospitality Manager Karen Newington poured eight stellar Unsworth wines for us, including three that are made from grapes unique to Vancouver Island. Read on for details.
Moon Curser
Moon Curser Vineyards is one of the most highly regarded wineries in B.C.’s Okanagan Valley, both for its impressive wines and its number of “firsts.” At least half the wineries on our fall tour lauded Moon Curser for being the first winery to grow Tannat in the valley, the only one to plant Arneis and Touriga Nacional, and the only winery in Canada to blend all six permitted Bordeaux grapes in its Border Vines wine. Its flagship Syrah-Tannat blend, Dead of Night, is also one of a kind (and our favorite). Named after moonlight-evading gold rush smugglers, Moon Curser has a unique story to share. Read on for details.
Beautiful British Columbia-Part 4
To wrap up this series on B.C. wine country, we wanted to tell you about the Wines of British Columbia dinner that we were invited to a few weeks ago at Dahlia Lounge.
Each of the six delicious courses by Chef Brock Johnson and B.C. Chef Trevor Bird of Fable Restaurant in Vancouver were paired with B.C. VQA wines that are now available exclusively at Whole Foods Market stores in Washington and Oregon.
This was the amazing menu:
First course: Chef Brock Johnson, Dahlia Lounge
Canapés: Bacon jam and apple on toast
Tantalus Vineyards, 2012 Riesling
Second course: Chef Brock Johnson, Dahlia Lounge
British Columbia lingcod fritter, tarragon aioli and olive
St. Hubertus Estate Winery, 2013 Pinot Blanc
Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, 2013 Pinot Gris
Third course: Chef Trevor Bird, Fable Kitchen, Vancouver, B.C.
Grilled fruit salad, Fable made ricotta, pickled berries, radish, end of the season strawberry vinaigrette
Quails’ Gate Winery, 2012 Pinot Noir
Fourth course: Chef Trevor Bird, Fable Kitchen
Confit Point Grey salmon, beet carpaccio, crispy business, herbed yogurt, pickled fennel and dill
Meyer Family Vineyards, 2012 Chardonnay
Fifth course: Chef Brock Johnson, Dahlia Lounge
Beef tenderloin and wine braised beef heart, smoked wild mushroom, parsnip and nutmeg
Black Hills Estate Winery, 2012 Nota Bene
Nk’Mip Cellars, 2012 Merlot
Sixth course: Chef Brock Johnson, Dahlia Lounge
British Columbia cheese plate, roasted fig, pecan flax toast
Burrowing Owl Estate Winery, 2011 Cabernet Franc
As mentioned, wines from these participating wineries are now available at Whole Foods, so if you can’t visit Beautiful British Columbia’s growing wine country, you can still taste the wines right here.
Thanks for inviting us to the delicious dinner and introducing B.C. wines to Washington and Oregon, Wines of British Columbia.
Other posts in this series:
Beautiful British Columbia Part 1
Beautiful British Columbia Part 2: Tinhorn Creek Vineyards
Beautiful British Columbia Part 3: Fairview Cellars
Cheers!